© Reuters King Charles III delivered his State of the Nation and Commonwealth of Nations address from Buckingham Palace, London, following the death of Queen Elizabeth II on Thursday. Drawing date: Friday, September 9, 2022. Yui Mok/Pool via REUTERS
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by Michael Holden and Kate Holton
LONDON (Reuters) – Queen Elizabeth’s state funeral will take place on Monday, Sept. 19, royal officials said on Saturday, as her son Charles was formally proclaimed Britain’s new king in a pompous and centuries-old ceremony.
The death of the 96-year-old monarch has sparked tears, grief and warm tributes not only from the Queen’s immediate family and many Britons, but also from around the world – marking 70 years of her presence on the world stage.
“We all thought she was invincible,” her grandson Prince William said https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/prince-william-pledges-support-king-charles-every-way-he-can-2022-09-10, now Heir to the throne.
“It’s definitely done,” he said as he and his wife Kate walked outside Windsor Castle with his younger brother Harry and his wife Meghan for the first time in public – a sign that will help heal the rift caused by Elizabeth’s death. Among the children of Charles.
Elizabeth’s oak coffin, draped in Scottish royalty and topped with a wreath, lay in state in the hall of Balmoral Castle, her summer home in Scotland, where she died peacefully on Thursday.
On Sunday, Hoss will drive https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/plans-run-up-queen-elizabeths-funeral-2022-09-10 through remote highland villages to the Scottish capital, Edinburgh, where people will pay their respects. A six hour trip.
The coffin will travel to London on Tuesday and will remain at Buckingham Palace until the funeral at Westminster Hall on September 19 at 11am (1000 GMT).
The death of Elizabeth, Britain’s longest-serving monarch, has sparked outrage around the world. Buildings and landmarks in Europe, America and Africa were lit up with the red, white and blue of the British flag.
The 73-year-old Charles succeeded immediately https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/process-by-which-charless-accession-throne-is-formalized-2022-09-08 but his mother the Accession Council at St James’s – in 1530 The highest royal palace in the United Kingdom, it was built for Henry VIII in the 1960s to proclaim Saturday as King.
The council – made up of Privy Councillors, whose role for centuries has been to advise the monarch – included his son and heir William, his wife Camilla and Britain’s new prime minister, Liz Truss, who signed the abdication.
Six former prime ministers, senior bishops and several politicians shouted “God save the king” as the announcement was approved.
Charles https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/challenges-facing-britains-new-king “I am well aware of this great legacy and the duties and heavy responsibilities of sovereignty,” said Charles-2022-09-10. “I strive to follow the inspiring example of my peers.”
Later, in the Proclamation Gallery, the balcony above the Friary Court of St. James’s Palace, the King of the Garter, David White, accompanied by other gold and red heraldic vestments, read the original proclamation, as the trumpet blew.
Soldiers in crimson uniforms chanted “hip, hip, hurrah” as White shouted three cheers for the king.
A few hundred people were allowed into the court to watch, including small children on parents’ shoulders, a woman holding flowers and elderly people on mobility scooters.
Royal Pomp
Charles is the 41st king in line to the Norman King William the Conqueror, who took the throne of England in 1066. Saturday’s events mirrored proclamations announcing new kings and queens hundreds of years ago.
He became king and head of government not only of the United Kingdom, but also of 14 other territories, including Australia, Canada, Jamaica, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea.
It was the first televised imperial proclamation. And for most Britons, it was the first such event in their lives, as Elizabeth was the only monarch they had ever known. Charles was just 3 years old when she became Queen in 1952.
Britain has declared a state of mourning for Elizabeth until a public holiday. Various world leaders are expected to attend, including US President Joe Biden.
What will happen after Charles’s coronation – and when – is not yet clear. There was a 16-month gap between Elizabeth becoming Queen in 1953 and her reign.
He has already made his eldest son William, 40, the new Prince of Wales, a title traditionally held by the heir to the throne, and William’s wife Kate will become Princess of Wales, a role last held by the late Princess Diana.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have clashed with Harry and Meghan after the couple decided to step down as royals in 2020 and move to California.
Harry and Meghan happened to be in Britain this week to attend some charity events, and they didn’t even expect to see William until his grandmother passed away.
However, the four men stood together and chatted briefly, although they looked very awkward and didn’t spend much time together during their 40-minute walk through Windsor, which followed William’s invitation to his brother.
It was an important show of unity at an incredibly difficult time for the family, the royal source said.
‘too sensitive’
Meanwhile at Balmoral, the Queen’s three youngest children – Anne, Andrew and Edward – and their own families made a public appearance, visiting a nearby church before looking at the messages among the flowers and rallying the crowd in their support.
Princess Eugenie, one of Prince Andrew’s daughters, was seen wiping away tears and hugging her father.
Ian Smith, a local businessman who was at the front of the barricade, said: “It was a very emotional moment, very moving.” “It was really special that they came to recognize us and we were able to show them our support.”
Elizabeth, the world’s oldest and longest-serving head of state, came to the throne at the age of 25 after the death of her father, King George VI, on February 6, 1952.
She has seen seismic changes in the social, political and economic structure of her nation in the past decade. During her long reign, she was praised for modernizing the monarchy, despite intense media scrutiny and often intense public suffering for her family.