After being sworn in, King Charles III. from Buckingham Palace back to Clarence House through the so-called Mall in London and shakes hands with well-wishers.
He’s not the only royal who can be seen there: Here Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, and his wife Meghan look at the flower decoration in front of Windsor Castle.
The pair are accompanied by Harry’s brother, Prince William, and his wife, Princess Catherine – and the fact that the four of them show up together excites royal fans for a moment at least as much as the ancient rites unwound to get rid of the decade-old crown prince to make Charles a king. Ever since Harry and Meghan turned their backs on the crown and accused the House of Windsor of racism, the relationship between the brothers and sisters-in-law has been strained.
A 96-gun salute is fired at the Tower of London as the Accession Council proclaims Charles king.
The highlight of this ceremony: the public reading of the “Proclamation” on the balcony of the Friary Court of St. James Palace. Both the words and the clothes seem to have fallen out of time – and they are. The procedure dates back to a time long before the telephone, television and internet.
Only 750 people are allowed into the Friary Court, which is why most onlookers gather in front of St. James Palace and watch the ceremony from afar.
There’s plenty to see: The Coldstream Guards raise their traditional bearskin hats to salute the new king.
The Council read the statement in traditional costume and in ancient language from the balcony of Friary Court.
It is the task of the council to declare the death of the monarch and immediately install the new king, who then has to present himself directly to the people on this occasion. Here is the newly crowned King Charles III. alongside his wife, Queen Camilla, and son William – now Prince of Wales.
The proclamation is solemnly signed by numerous people: by the king himself, of course.
From the queen, whose actual title is Queen Consort, i.e. king’s wife. Most recently, the mother of the late Queen Elizabeth II, better known as Queen Mom, bore this title. Until recently, there had been speculation as to whether the divorced Camilla would be allowed to call herself queen. However, it was the Queen’s express wish that she now hold the title.
Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby also signs the declaration. As king, Charles is not only the head of state of Great Britain and the Commonwealth, but also the secular head of the Anglican state church.
All of Britain’s surviving former Prime Ministers attend the ceremony: Theresa May and John Major (front row, alongside Baroness von Ashthal, Patricia Janet Scotland), Gordon Brown and Tony Blair (second row), David Cameron and Boris Johnson (third row) .
Even before the statement is read, officials and civil servants gather in front of the Royal Exchange building, formerly the seat of the London Stock Exchange, and doff their hats.
From there, a festive procession heads towards St. James Palace.
Elected councilors gather at the Royal Exchange.
Here the members of the Accession Council arrive – in full regalia.
A troop of pikemen and musketeers also take part in the procession in traditional procession.
Already early in the morning onlookers gather at the roadside to get as much of the spectacle as possible.