A speech from the nation’s new monarch King Charles III included a small tribute to his late father, Prince Philip. It was the King's first speech since his mother's death yesterday, after he flew to Balmoral to be with the 96-year-old in her final hours.
It is understood that the address was pre-recorded earlier today before being shown simultaneously on BBC One, BBC News, Sky News and ITV1. In a poignant tribute to Prince Philip, who died in April last year, his late father's polished antique desk desk has been brought to him from which to deliver the TV address, a poignant tribute to the royal, whose loss his mother felt so keenly.
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The 6pm slot followed a busy afternoon as he greeted well-wishers gathered outside Buckingham Palace and held his first audience with Prime Minister Liz Truss.
In his speech, the King paid tribute to his 'mama', beginning: "I speak to you today with feelings of profound sorrow. Throughout her life, Her Majesty The Queen – my beloved Mother – was an inspiration and example to me and to all my family, and we owe her the most heartfelt debt any family can owe to their mother; for her love, affection, guidance, understanding and example.
"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.
Earlier in the day, crowds lined up behind a barrier clamouring to greet him, smiling and taking photos of him on their phones.
One woman leaned over to kiss Charles’s right hand and another kissed him on the cheek as he thanked people for their good wishes, shaking countless hands after stepping from his state Bentley.
The Queen, as Camilla is now known, followed at a distance behind him, before joining his side to view the large collection of brightly coloured floral bouquets left in tribute to his mother.
Shouts of God Save the King went up, along with three cheers, for the new head of state, dressed in mourning black suit and tie, who smiled and waved at the mass of people.
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This weekend, the Daily Mirror and Sunday Mirror celebrate the life of Her Majesty the Queen with a commemorative special filled with all the key moments from Britain's longest reigning monarch. Be sure to pick up your copy of the Daily Mirror and Sunday Mirror to get both pull-outs.
