Nick Knight
King Charles III and Queen Consort Camilla arrived to Buckingham Palace on Friday after spending Thursday night in Balmoral following the passing of Her Majesty the Queen. They greeted the crowds who had gathered outside the palace gates. The newly established king went to the Blue Drawing Room to record a speech that would be broadcast across the nation and the Commonwealth at 6 o’clock after establishing a period of national mourning that would extend for seven days following the Queen’s death.
The King praised his “darling mom” in both his opening and closing remarks: “Queen Elizabeth was a life well lived, a promise with destiny kept, and she is mourned most deeply in her passing. That promise of lifelong service I renew to you all today. Alongside the personal grief that all my family are feeling, we also share with so many of you in the United Kingdom, in all the countries where the Queen was Head of State, in the Commonwealth and across the world, a deep sense of gratitude for the more than 70 years in which my mother, as Queen, served the people of so many nations.” He also pledged to renew his mother’s “promise of lifelong service”, made during her 21st birthday speech from Cape Town, adding: “I shall endeavour to serve you with loyalty, respect and love, as I have throughout my life.”
Charles also provided insight into more developments occurring inside the royal family. The former Duchess of Cornwall, Camilla, will take the throne as Queen Consort, as was previously announced. “in recognition of her own loyal public service”. “I know she will bring to the demands of her new role the steadfast devotion to duty on which I have come to rely so much,” he said.
William and Catherine, who were formerly known as the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, will now be referred to as the Prince and Princess of Wales, with William also taking on Charles’s Scottish titles.
“With Catherine beside him, our new Prince and Princess of Wales will, I know, continue to inspire and lead our national conversations, helping to bring the marginal to the centre ground where vital help can be given,” he enthused, before expressing his “love for Harry and Meghan as they continue to build their lives overseas”.
Despite the fact that Charles succeeded to the throne immediately after the Queen passed away, he won’t be formally installed as king until Saturday during an Accession Council. He will likely be officially crowned at Westminster Abbey the following year, becoming the 40th king or queen to hold the throne of Great Britain since William the Conqueror. The service is anticipated to be less elaborate than the Queen’s in keeping with Charles’s desires for a more efficient monarchy.
Additionally, the postponement will give His Majesty and the nation time to mourn the passing of the Queen. “The death of my beloved mother, Her Majesty The Queen, is a moment of the greatest sadness for me and all members of my family,” Charles wrote in a statement released following the death announcement. “We mourn profoundly the passing of a cherished sovereign and a much-loved mother. I know her loss will be deeply felt throughout the country, the realms and the Commonwealth, and by countless people around the world. During this period of mourning and change, my family and I will be comforted and sustained by our knowledge of the respect and deep affection in which the Queen was so widely held.”
The King’s leaving remarks at 6 o’clock during the broadcast, which included a passage from the classic tune “Song for Athene” by British composer John Tavener, which was played during Diana, Princess of Wales’s burial, were even more telling. The King’s leaving remarks at 6 o’clock during the broadcast, which included a passage from the classic tune “Song for Athene” by British composer John Tavener, which was played during Diana, Princess of Wales’s burial, were even more telling.
