London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Oct 30, 2025

Charles praises Queen's reign as he is formally confirmed as king

Charles praises Queen's reign as he is formally confirmed as king

King Charles III has praised the Queen's "unequalled reign" after being proclaimed king at a ceremony at St James's Palace.

The King became the monarch after the death of his mother, but a meeting formally confirmed it on Saturday.

He also approved the day of the Queen's funeral, Monday, 19 September, being a bank holiday.

Speaking before the Accession Council, the King said his mother's death had been an "irreparable loss".

Meanwhile, senior MPs in the House of Commons, including Prime Minister Liz Truss, swore allegiance to the new monarch.

Making his address in the State Apartments of St James's Palace in London, King Charles said: "It is the greatest consolation to me to know of the sympathy expressed by so many to my sister and brothers and that such overwhelming affection and support should be extended to our whole family in our loss."

He later spoke of the Queen's "selfless service", saying: "My mother's reign was unequalled in its duration, its dedication and its devotion.

King Charles gave his speech in the Throne Room at St James's Palace.


"Even as we grieve, we give thanks for this most faithful life."

The King added he would "strive to follow the inspiring example" he was set by his mother in taking on the "heavy responsibilities of sovereignty".

It is the first time the historic ceremony, which dates back centuries, has been televised.

The King himself was not present for the first part of the meeting when he was proclaimed monarch by the Accession Council, made up of senior politicians, judges, and officials.

Six former prime ministers were in attendance at the accession ceremony


Clerk of the Privy Council Richard Tilbrook proclaimed Charles "King, head of the Commonwealth, defender of the faith", before declaring "God Save the King".

The packed room, including all of the six living former British prime ministers, repeated the phrase. The proclamation was then read out on a balcony above Friary Court in St James's Palace.

The King greeted crowds as he arrived at Buckingham Palace from the ceremony


Just before the ceremony inside, hundreds of people were allowed through from the Mall, into the palace's outdoor Friary Court, to witness the proclamation up on the balcony.

They brought their babies and children and carried bunches of flowers. Some brought their dogs on a walk, diverted to witness the moment.

After the state trumpeters played a fanfare, the privy councillors who had left the ceremony and gathered outside raised their voices to say "God Save the King".

Cheers of "hip-hip hooray" were heard coming from people lining the roads both sides of the palace, and ceremonial guns fired close to nearby Green Park.

As senior figures from politics past and present filed away, senior Labour MP Harriet Harman described the ceremony inside as "solemn", both because of the death of the Queen and the weight of the occasion for the new King.

The Accession Proclamation was made on a balcony at St James's Palace


The second reading of the Accession Proclamation was also met with applause and cheers outside the Royal Exchange in London on Saturday.

On Saturday afternoon senior MPs took the oath or affirmed in the House of Commons.

Three of the Queen's children and their families read tributes to the Queen as they returned from a church service.


Taking her oath, the prime minister said: "I swear by almighty God that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to His Majesty King Charles, his heirs and successors, according to law, so help me God."

On Saturday afternoon, three of the Queen's children and their families viewed flowers and tributes left outside Balmoral after attending a prayer service at Crathie Kirk, near to the castle.

On their return to Balmoral they stopped their cars by the gates as they thanked well wishers for coming to read the messages left for the Queen.

The Duke of York comforted his daughter Princess Eugenie as they read tributes to the Queen

Princess Anne was joined by her two younger brothers and their families as they looked at tributes outside Balmoral


Prince Andrew was seen putting his arm around his daughter, Princess Eugenie, as she wiped a tear from her eyes, while the Countess of Wessex held Lady Louise's hand.

After around 10 minutes the family returned to Balmoral Castle.


Watch: Charles III is proclaimed King, in a ceremony broadcast for the first time


Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
UK and Vietnam Sign Landmark Migration Deal to Fast-Track Returns of Irregular Arrivals
UK Drug-Pricing Overhaul Essential for Life-Sciences Ambition, Says GSK Chief
Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie Temporarily Leave the UK Amid Their Parents’ Royal Fallout
UK Weighs Early End to Oil and Gas Windfall Tax as Reeves Seeks Investment Commitments
UK Retail Inflation Slows as Shop Prices Fall for First Time Since Spring
Next Raises Full-Year Profit Guidance After Strong Third-Quarter Performance
Reform UK’s Lee Anderson Admits to 'Gaming' Benefits System While Advocating Crackdown
United States and South Korea Conclude Major Trade Accord Worth $350 Billion
Hurricane Melissa Strikes Cuba After Devastating Jamaica With Record Winds
Vice President Vance to Headline Turning Point USA Campus Event at Ole Miss
U.S. Targets Maritime Narco-Routes While Border Pressure to Mexico Remains Limited
Bill Gates at 70: “I Have a Real Fear of Artificial Intelligence – and Also Regret”
Elon Musk Unveils Grokipedia: An AI-Driven Alternative to Wikipedia
Saudi Arabia Unveils Vision for First-Ever "Sky Stadium" Suspended Over Desert Floor
Amazon Announces 14 000 Corporate Job Cuts as AI Investment Accelerates
UK Shop Prices Fall for First Time Since March, Food Leads the Decline
London Stock Exchange Group ADR (LNSTY) Earns Zacks Rank #1 Upgrade on Rising Earnings Outlook
Soap legend Tony Adams, long-time star of Crossroads, dies at 84
Rachel Reeves Signals Tax Increases Ahead of November Budget Amid £20-50 Billion Fiscal Gap
NatWest Past Gains of 314% Spotlight Opportunity — But Some Key Risks Remain
UK Launches ‘Golden Age’ of Nuclear with £38 Billion Sizewell C Approval
UK Announces £1.08 Billion Budget for Offshore Wind Auction to Boost 2030 Capacity
UK Seeks Steel Alliance with EU and US to Counter China’s Over-Capacity
UK Struggles to Balance China as Both Strategic Threat and Valued Trading Partner
Argentina’s Markets Surge as Milei’s Party Secures Major Win
British Journalist Sami Hamdi Detained by U.S. Authorities After Visa Revocation Amid Israel-Gaza Commentary
King Charles Unveils UK’s First LGBT+ Armed Forces Memorial at National Memorial Arboretum
At ninety-two and re-elected: Paul Biya secures eighth term in Cameroon amid unrest
Racist Incidents Against UK Nurses Surge by 55%
UK Chancellor Rachel Reeves Cites Shared Concerns With Trump Administration as Foundation for Early US-UK Trade Deal
Essentra plc: A Closer Look at a UK ‘Penny Stock’ Opportunity Amid Market Weakness
U.S. and China Near Deal to Avert Rare-Earth Export Controls Ahead of Trump-Xi Summit
Justin time: Justin Herbert Shields Madison Beer with Impressive Reflex at Lakers Game
Russia’s President Putin Declares Burevestnik Nuclear Cruise Missile Ready for Deployment
Giuffre’s Memoir Alleges Maxwell Claimed Sexual Act with Clooney
House Republicans Move to Strip NYC Mayoral Front-Runner Zohran Mamdani of U.S. Citizenship
Record-High Spoiled Ballots Signal Voter Discontent in Ireland’s 2025 Presidential Election
Philippines’ Taal Volcano Erupts Overnight with 2.4 km Ash Plume
Albania’s Virtual AI 'Minister' Diella Set to 'Birth' Eighty-Three Digital Assistants for MPs
Tesla Unveils Vision for Optimus V3 as ‘Biggest Product of All Time’, Including Surgical Capabilities
Francis Ford Coppola Auctions Luxury Watches After Self-Financed Film Flop
Convicted Sex Offender Mistakenly Freed by UK Prison Service Arrested in London
United States and China Begin Constructive Trade Negotiations Ahead of Trump–Xi Summit
U.S. Treasury Sanctions Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro over Drug-Trafficking Allegations
Miss USA Crowns Nebraska’s Audrey Eckert Amid Leadership Overhaul
‘I Am Not Done’: Kamala Harris Signals Possible 2028 White House Run
NBA Faces Integrity Crisis After Mass Arrests in Gambling Scandal
Swift Heist at the Louvre Sees Eight French Crown Jewels Stolen in Under Seven Minutes
U.S. Halts Trade Talks with Canada After Ontario Ad Using Reagan Voice Triggers Diplomatic Fallout
Microsoft AI CEO: ‘We’re making an AI that you can trust your kids to use’ — but can Microsoft rebuild its own trust before fixing the industry’s?
×