The nation’s new monarch King Charles III has been formally declared head of state during a historic ceremony at St James’s Palace in London.
The Accession Council attended by privy counsellors, including the Queen, the new Prince of Wales and the Prime Minister was televised for the first time.
King Charles III and the Queen with the new Prince of Wales during the Accession Council at St James’s Palace (Victoria Jones/PA) (PA Wire)William and the Queen watch as King Charles III signs an oath to uphold the security of the Church in Scotland during the Accession Council (Victoria Jones/PA) (PA Wire)The Queen is also a privy counsellor (Jonathan Brady/PA) (PA Wire)
More than 200 privy counsellors – a group of mostly senior politicians past and present, some members of the monarchy and other national figures – were present to hear the Clerk of the Council read the Accession Proclamation.
Privy counsellors, from left, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer, former prime ministers Tony Blair, Gordon Brown, Boris Johnson, David Cameron, Theresa May and John Major stand ahead of the King’s arrival (Kirsty O’Connor/PA) (PA Wire)The ceremony was held in the Throne Room at St James’s Palace (Jonathan Brady/PA) (PA Wire)Former prime ministers Theresa May and John Major, with Commonwealth secretary-general Baroness Scotland arriving (Joe Giddens/PA) (PA Wire)
Applause and cheers of “God save the King” broke out outside St James’s Palace after the Accession Proclamation, before a crowd of thousands sang the chorus of the national anthem, singing “King” in place of “Queen”.
Crowds gather outside the palace to witness the proclamation (Richard Heathcote/PA) (PA Wire)Garter Principal King of Arms, David Vines White, centre, reads the proclamation from the Friary Court balcony of St James’s Palace (Richard Heathcote/PA) (PA Wire)The ceremony was watched around the country, with golf spectators at the PGA Championship at Wentworth Golf Club able to view it on the big screens around the course (Adam Davy/PA) (PA Wire)
Proclamations will be read in the Scottish, Welsh and Northern Ireland devolved parliaments in Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast on Sunday.
A Pikeman of the Honourable Artillery Company stands outside the Royal Exchange in the City of London, before the reading of the Proclamation of Accession there (James Manning/PA) (PA Wire)Pikemen of the Honourable Artillery Company, left, stand outside the Royal Exchange in the City of London, before the reading of the Proclamation of Accession of King Charles III (James Manning/PA) (PA Wire)The proclamation will be repeated on Sunday in other cities (James Manning/PA) (PA Wire)
Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
