In a historic ceremony that included trumpets, oaths and cannon salutes, Charles III was crowned king in London on Saturday, shouldering the ‘heavy responsibilities’ of the crown with the ‘inspiring’ example of his mother, Elizabeth II.
With great reverence and respect for the millimeters of protocol and tradition, Charles III established himself as head of state with the heavy task of succeeding an ultra-popular monarch. year’s reign, the longest in English history.
‘Prince Charles Philip Arthur George has now, by the death of our Lady Sovereign of happy memory, become our Charles III… God save the King,’ announced the Board of Accessions, assembled at St James’s Palace. Then the congregation repeated: ‘God save the king’.
An example to follow
Charles III then ascended the throne. “My mother’s reign was unmatched in piety and piety (…) I am deeply aware of this great heritage, duties and heavy responsibilities of sovereignty, which have now been entrusted to me,” he said.
“In accepting these responsibilities, I will try to follow the inspiring example set before me,” he continued.
The ceremony, which was televised for the first time, took place at St James’s Palace in the presence of the new Queen Consort Camilla, the new heir to the throne William, Prime Minister Liz Truss and many of her predecessors. The first was in 1952, when Elizabeth II was proclaimed Queen.
Although the queen automatically becomes king after her death, this council of accession is an ancient formality aimed at recognizing the sovereignty of the new monarch.
At the end of the ceremony, trumpets and horns sounded and Charles III was publicly proclaimed King on the balcony of St James’s Palace, before an audience of guards in the iconic red uniform. Cannonballs were then fired across England in honor of the new ruler.
The proclamation was then broadcast around London by half a dozen heralds in horse-drawn carriages.
‘stability’
Several hundred people gathered in front of Saint-James, including two Londoners, Sarah and Gerard Berdien, aged 53 and 54, who had come to see their new king.
‘I’m sorry but we have to move on. I think the king will be different (…) The queen is always the queen, always the same, no drama,” Sarah said. “This is what is expected of him (…) we want stability,” Gerrard said.
In Parliament, members of parliament and nobles pledged allegiance to the new sovereign. In the afternoon, the new monarch will receive the Prime Minister, Chief Ministers and Leaders of the Opposition.
Charles III ascends the throne at a difficult time, with the United Kingdom facing its worst economic crisis in 40 years and four prime ministers succeeding in six years.
At 73, he was the oldest British monarch at the start of his reign.
When Prime Minister Liz received the dress for the first time on Friday, she admitted “it was a moment I dreaded”.
Ovation
Charles III is infinitely more popular than his mother, who kept her opinions to herself and knew how to maintain the prestige of the monarchy, giving no interviews until her death on Thursday at her Scottish home in Balmoral.
However, his successor William, now the Prince of Wales, is in no doubt passing on the baton, as few have expected in recent years. In his maiden speech on Friday evening, he pledged to serve the British for the rest of his life, as his ‘mother darling’ Elizabeth II did on her 21st birthday.
All the newspapers on Saturday had portraits of Charles on the front page, hailing his maiden speech. ‘I will try to serve with loyalty, respect and love’: this quote from Charles has graced the covers of The Independent, The Guardian and the Financial Times.
According to The Sun, the speech eased some fears that Charles would not be able to fill the void left by Elizabeth II’s death. “Charles, with his moving maiden speech, has given us hope that he will fulfill this role with wisdom, skill and compassion,” his editorial read. ‘He was a warlike king, and we feared at times that he was a danger to the future of our monarchy. But no more,’ the text adds.
The new monarch was given a standing ovation as she arrived in Buckingham on Friday afternoon after returning from Scotland. He shook hands with Camilla, his wife who became queen consort, and dozens of people pressed against barriers in front of the palace.
holiday
Thousands of people have gathered since Elizabeth II’s death was announced, laying wreaths and paying tribute in front of royal residences, reflecting the huge emotion in the UK and abroad since her death.
The monarch has announced that state mourning – which will include members of the royal family, staff and members of the royal family – will last for seven days after the Queen’s funeral. The date, around September 19, has yet to be announced but Charles has already declared a public holiday to mark the occasion.
National mourning, mandated by the government, must last until the day of his funeral. The Queen will be buried privately in the chapel at Windsor Castle. His coffin is due to be moved to Edinburgh before Sunday, where the public will have the first opportunity to gather.
/ats
“Avid gamer. Social media geek. Proud troublemaker. Thinker. Travel fan. Problem solver.”