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A royal biographer has given an insight into King Charles’s first hours as monarch after being told the news of the Queen’s death in a car.
Robert Hardman told an audience at the Henley Literary Festival – at which The Independent is the exclusive news partner for a second year – how Charles’s reign differed from his mother’s, as well as revelations about the late Queen’s final days.
His book, Charles III: New King. New Court. The Inside Story, chronicles the King’s first year as monarch – the first time the majority of Britain’s population had encountered a ruler other than Queen Elizabeth II.
He told the audience in Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, how Charles became aware that he had become King over the phone while driving back to Balmoral Castle to see his mother.
“He was driving up the estate backroads, driving at some speed and someone in the back received a phone call from the switchboard. They handed it to his private secretary who said, ‘Sir, I’m afraid you’re going to have to stop the car’ and handed him the phone.
“That is the moment he’s addressed as ‘Your Majesty’ for the first time.”
He then “put the car back in gear” and arrived at Balmoral Castle as King, before beginning work as monarch almost immediately.
“Everyone who loses a loved one is told to go and have a few days off to sort yourself out and deal with it, but as monarch you have to start organising stuff,” Hardman said.
“That afternoon there was paper in front of him to appoint the new Metropolitan police commissioner. The red boxes keep going.”
One of his first jobs was to inform other members of the royal family, beginning with Prince William, about the Queen’s passing. Hardman described the moment the monarch called the switchboard and was unsure with which title he was to address himself, so simply said: “It’s me.”
Less than 24 hours after the Queen’s death, he flew down to London to address the nation as its new King.
Hardman described the atmosphere outside Buckingham Palace as Charles arrived: “He goes up to the first person with his hand outstretched and there’s this woman in floods of tears who says, ‘I don’t want to give you a handshake, I want to give you a hug,’ and does.
“It was a moment where if you’re looking in ways his reign is different from the last, no one would have dreamt of trying to hug Elizabeth II.”
According to Hardman, Charles then went on to film his first address as King in the palace; it was recorded in just two takes, but the first was used.
Henley Literary Festival continues until 6 October.
