© Reuters Britain’s King Charles and Queen Camilla attend the Council of Communications at St James’s Palace, where Britain’s new monarchy will be officially announced, following the death of Queen Elizabeth II, in London, Britain September 10, 2022. Victoria Jones/Pool via R
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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 officially proclaimed Britain’s new king in a lavish ceremony steeped in pageantry and tradition.
The 96-year-old king’s death by train after 70 years on the throne prompted days of national mourning and elaborate plans for a state funeral.
Elizabeth’s coffin left her Scottish estate on Sunday, stopping in remote highland villages to the Scottish capital Edinburgh on a six-hour journey for people to pay their respects.
The coffin will travel to London on Tuesday and will remain at Buckingham Palace until the funeral service at Westminster Abbey on September 19 at 1000 GMT before being moved to Westminster Hall.
The death of Britain’s long-time monarch Elizabeth has prompted an outpouring of tributes 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.
“As I discharge these responsibilities, I will strive to follow the inspiring example I have set of respecting constitutional government and seeking the peace, harmony and prosperity of the peoples of these islands.
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. Many are capturing the moment on their smartphones.
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.
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 only three when she became Queen in 1952.
Britain has declared a state of mourning for Elizabeth until a public holiday.
World leaders are expected to attend the funeral in London, including US President Joe Biden, who said he would attend on Friday.
Charles’s reign will take place later – and the timing of that is not yet clear. There was a 16-month gap between Elizabeth becoming Queen in 1953 and her reign.
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.
“My grandmother famously said that grief is the price we pay for love,” Prince William, Charles’ eldest son and now heir apparent, said in a statement.