King Charles III, the world’s newest monarch, officially declared the sovereignty of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland on Saturday morning in a constitutional ceremony that took place hundreds of years ago. Around 700 members of the current Council of Accession, the oldest functioning part of the British government, were summoned to gather at St James’s Palace in London, the official residence of Britain’s kings and queens for centuries, on Saturday.
The council includes Privy Councillors, new Prime Minister Liz Truss, a Church of England devout, the Lord Mayor of London and a select group of senior politicians from British society and other senior civil servants. 14 other “kingdoms” or nations where a monarch serves as the official head of state.
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Although King Charles III became king immediately upon the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, who died on Thursday after a record 70 years on the throne, it was the council’s role to officially acknowledge the death of a monarch and then announce a new one. one on behalf of the British government. It is part of the British constitutional process.
Around 200 current Privy Councilors attended the proceedings in London on Saturday, including many former prime ministers and other senior politicians. The Privy Council it is the oldest functioning part of British government, dating back nearly 1,000 years. For the first time in the long history of the Accession Council, the two-part ceremony was televised live on Saturday.
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In the first part of the ceremony, British lawmaker Penny Mordaunt, lord president of the council, announced the death of Queen Elizabeth II, and then Richard Tilbrook, secretary of the council, read aloud the membership announcement.
Later, the declaration was signed by the council members.
For the second part of the council, King Charles attended the meeting at St. James’s. The Privy Councilors watched as the new monarch read his mother’s death proclamations and then took an oath to serve her kingdom.
Charles, who vowed to follow his mother’s “inspiring example”, said that “this great inheritance and sovereignty now gives me a deep understanding of the duties and heavy responsibilities that have come before me”.
“I know how deeply you and all the people feel, and I can say that the whole world sympathizes with me in this irreparable loss that we have all suffered,” he said of the queen’s death.
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The new king then vocally approved a series of decrees, including declaring the still-unconfirmed date of his mother’s funeral a national holiday. It is expected to be held on or around September 19.
As required by the British constitution, Charles also declared his loyalty to the Church of Scotland, of which he was the official leader. He then signed two copies of this declaration first, followed by his son and heir, William, Prince of Wales, and other witnesses.
Following the proceedings of the Council of Accession, the proclamation of King Charles as monarch was read aloud from the Proclamation Gallery, the balcony of St James’s Palace, by the Garter King, accompanied by other dignitaries – all in traditional dress.
Trumpets sounded as the Garter King prepared to read the proclamation.
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In a proclamation read to the world by the Garter King, the assembled Privy Councilors and other members of the Council of Accession formally declared that “we do now with one voice, and consent of Tongue and Heart, publish and declare that Prince Charles Philip Arthur George is now deceased of our happy memory.” by the death of his sovereign, by the grace of God, our only lawful and lawful lord of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Charles III., King of all his other realms and territories, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith, we accept with humble love all faiths and obediences, kings and queens of the realm we pray to God to bless his majesty with long and happy years to reign over us.”
Later, “God save the king!” his exclamation was followed by another trumpet salute. By those gathered in the courtyard below the Statement Gallery. Then the assembled crowd sang the British national anthem. With new lyrics from “God Save the King”.
The ceremony was followed by a salute of arms and a public repetition of the announcement in other parts of London, and then in Edinburgh, Scotland, in the capital cities of the other native countries of Great Britain; Belfast, Northern Ireland and Cardiff, Wales, among the other 14 countries where Charles is the official head of state.
The rest of King Charles’ third working day will involve a series of official meetings – or “audiences” as Buckingham Palace refers to him – including officials. The Archbishop of Canterbury, the Prime Minister and other members of the Cabinet, and later the leaders of Britain’s political opposition parties.
