A ten-day national mourning opens in the United Kingdom after the death of Elizabeth II, while Charles III, less popular than his mother, begins his first day as king, with a much-awaited television address.
Posted at 7:27
The 73-year-old king left Balmoral Castle in Scotland at the end of the morning, where Elizabeth II died “peacefully” Thursday at the age of 96, and was due to arrive in London in the early afternoon.
The government “united in its support for the new king”, observed a moment of silence on Friday morning in memory of the sovereign who reigned for more than 70 years, Downing Street said after an extraordinary council of ministers.
Although he had become much more present in recent months, often replacing his mother who was diminished by her health problems, it is a completely different challenge that now awaits the king, as head of state of 15 kingdoms, of New Zealand to the Bahamas.
Less popular than his mother, he will have a lot to do to preserve the attachment of the British to the monarchy, an institution that some consider outdated, but whose prestige Elizabeth II had managed to maintain.
Especially since the country is in a difficult situation, hit by the economic crisis and plagued by tensions, in particular the consequences of Brexit.
“The reign of Elizabeth II is over. Long life to King Charles III,” said Friday in its editorial on Daily Telegraphafter having, like the rest of the press, paid a vibrant tribute to the late sovereign.
The schedule for the next few days has been prepared for a long time, even if the palace has yet to specify the details. Once back, with Camilla now queen consort, Charles III must meet with the brand new Prime Minister Liz Truss, then address the British in the evening in a recorded television message.
Royal and national mourning
The national mourning, announced by the British government, must last until the funeral, scheduled in ten days. After her funeral, the Queen will be buried in the chapel at Windsor Castle.
The king also decreed in parallel a royal mourning of several weeks for the members of the royal family, the staff of the monarchy and the troops engaged in the ceremonies.
He spoke for the first time Thursday evening in a press release to express the “very great sadness” of his family after the death “of a beloved sovereign and a beloved mother”.
Already, sporting and cultural events have been cancelled, department stores have decided to keep their doors closed, and railway and postal workers have suspended their planned strikes in the face of the cost of living crisis.
On Friday at 12 p.m. local time, church bells rang across the country, particularly at St. Paul’s Cathedral and Westminster Abbey, then 96 cannon shots will be fired from several locations in the capital, including the Tower of London or Hyde Park.
Parliamentarians must also pay tribute to the Queen in the House of Commons. Such tributes have already begun on the other side of the globe, in Australia and New Zealand, both members of the Commonwealth.
Charles is to be officially proclaimed king on Saturday by the succession council, meeting at St. James’s Palace in London.
Details of the Queen’s funeral arrangements will be announced “in due course”, the government said on Friday.
” A light “
The sovereign had limited her appearances, since a night in the hospital in October 2021. Since her death, announced Thursday at 6:30 p.m. local time, tributes have poured in from leaders around the world, such as many sports personalities and of the culture. “Deeply saddened”, the singer Elton John, knighted by the queen in 1988, hailed “a source of inspiration” and his “moral sense”.
In the United Kingdom, thousands of Britons have followed one another since Thursday in front of Buckingham Palace, to pay homage to him and to meditate, as well as at Windsor and Balmoral.
“To our beloved Queen. We will miss you! “, “Thank you, you served the country until the end”, “You were a light in the dark times … Rest in peace”, can we read Friday on the notes accompanying the bouquets of flowers placed in front of the gates of the Buckingham Palace.
The late monarch, known for her sense of duty and deadpan humor, is omnipresent in the lives of the British, present on banknotes and stamps, which will have to change their face. Many are those who only knew her on the throne.
On the outskirts of Windsor Castle, not far from the capital, where many people in tears come to pay homage to the queen, Marina Flynn, soon to be 80, wants to be optimistic about the reign of Charles III. “I think he will be very good. He has waited a long time and he has his family with him. He knows what he has to do”.
“I’m not very sure. But maybe it’s just hard for me to imagine a life without the queen. We will see, ”says cautiously Anthony Evans, 37, who came with his 4-year-old son.