The leader of the House of Commons, Penny Mordaunt, was joined by senior politicians past and present on Saturday as she led the accession council ceremony of King Charles III at St James’s Palace.
Her additional role as lord president of the privy council, awarded to her in the cabinet reshuffle just four days ago, meant she played a central role in the historic ceremony – the first to be held in 70 years, and the first in history to be televised.
After Charles made a formal “declaration” regarding the Queen’s death, and read and signed an oath to uphold the security of the Church of Scotland, Mordaunt outlined the King’s new orders, with him replying “agree” as she read each one out.
The role of lord president of the privy council is by convention always an MP, and in recent years it has been typical for them also to serve as leader of the House of Commons or Lords.
Previous people to hold the position include Neville Chamberlain and Clement Attlee – and, more recently, Michael Foot, Peter Mandelson, Andrea Leadsom and Jacob Rees-Mogg.
Charles was joined at the accession council ceremony by Camilla, the new Queen Consort, and the new Prince of Wales, his son William.
Others in attendance included former prime ministers John Major, Tony Blair and Boris Johnson, as well as archbishops, judges, and several senior members of the House of Lords.
After the privy council ceremony, a principal proclamation was read in public by the garter king of arms from the balcony overlooking Friary Court at St James’s Palace.
By law, Charles became king the moment his mother died on Thursday afternoon. Yet on the basis of immemorial custom, the council must meet and process certain business.
The event, which symbolises the 1707 union between Scotland and England, was followed by trumpeters and a colourful array of heralds. The reworded national anthem received one of its first outings.
Penny Mordaunt was the breakout star of the early days of the Tory leadership contest, where she came second in every round of MPs’ voting, apart from the crucial final one.
