King Charles officially proclaimed Britain’s new monarch | CBC News

King Charles III was officially announced as Britain’s monarch on Saturday in a ceremony steeped in tradition and political symbolism – and broadcast live for the first time.

Charles automatically became king when his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, died on Thursday, but the accession ceremony was an important constitutional and ceremonial step in introducing the new monarch to the country.

The ceremony at St James’s Palace, a royal residence in London, was attended by the Accession Council, made up of senior politicians and officials who advise the monarch. They met without Charles and officially confirmed his title, King Charles III. The king then joined them to make a personal statement in which he vowed to follow his mother’s “inspiring example” in assuming monarch’s duties.

“I know how deeply you and the whole nation, and I think I may say the whole world, sympathize with me for this irreparable loss that we have all suffered,” he said.

It is the first time Queen Elizabeth has ascended the throne since 1952.

Charles, 73, was joined at the ceremony by his wife, Camilla, the Queen Consort, and their eldest son, Prince William. William is now heir to the throne and is known by the title long held by Charles, Prince of Wales.

After Charles’ personal statement, David White, the Garter King of Arms, read the main proclamation from a balcony in St James’s Palace, flanked by trumpeters in gold-trimmed robes.

“Three cheers to His Majesty the King,” White shouted, triggering a response of “hip, hip, hooray” from the soldiers below.

London’s Lord Mayor and Aldermen were present, along with High Commissioners from kingdoms within the Commonwealth. The High Commissioner for Canada, Ralph Goodale, was also invited to attend.

The new king officially approved a number of decrees – including one making the day of his mother’s funeral a public holiday. The date of the state funeral has not yet been announced, but it is expected to be around September 19.

The Queen’s body is expected to be taken from her Balmoral estate in Scotland this weekend, first to Edinburgh and then to London, where it will be laid out before a funeral at Westminster Abbey.

Gun salutes rang out in Hyde Park, the Tower of London and military sites across Britain as the new King was proclaimed.

After the palace ceremony, the pageantry continued in London’s financial heart with trumpets, the national anthem and a further three cheers outside the Royal Exchange as Tim Duke, a weapons officer, gave a second reading of the proclamation.

King returns to Buckingham Palace

Elsewhere, crowds cheered as King Charles’ motorcade returned to Buckingham Palace.

Other declarations of accession will be read publicly in other UK capitals on Sunday – Edinburgh in Scotland, Belfast in Northern Ireland and Cardiff in Wales.

The death of Elizabeth, Britain’s longest reigning monarch, has prompted a spate of tributes from home and around the world.

A ceremony to proclaim the King as Canada’s new sovereign will be held at 10 a.m. ET at Rideau Hall in Ottawa.

Although he is already king, Charles’ coronation will take place at a later date – and the timing of that is not yet clear. Sixteen months elapsed between Elizabeth’s proclamation as queen in 1952 and her coronation in 1953.