London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Sep 18, 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
Macron and his wife to provide 'scientific photographic evidence' that she is a real woman
US Tech Giants Pledge Billions to UK AI Infrastructure Following Starmer's Call
Saudi Arabia cracks down on music ‘lounges’ after conservative backlash
DeepMind and OpenAI Achieve Gold at ‘Coding Olympics’ in AI Milestone
SEC Allows Public Companies to Block Investors from Class-Action Lawsuits
Saudi Arabia Signs ‘Strategic Mutual Defence’ Pact with Pakistan, Marking First Arab State to Gain Indirect Access to Nuclear Strike Capabilities in the Region
Federal Reserve Cuts Rates by Quarter Point and Signals More to Come
Effective and Impressive Generation Z Protest: Images from the Riots in Nepal
European manufacturers against ban on polluting cars: "The industry may collapse"
Sam Altman sells the 'Wedding Estate' in Hawaii for 49 million dollars
Trump: Cancel quarterly company reports and settle for reporting once every six months
Turkish car manufacturer Togg Enters German Market with 5-Star Electric Sedan and SUV to Challenge European EV Brands
US Launches New Pilot Program to Accelerate eVTOL Air Taxi Deployment
Christian Brueckner Released from German Prison after Serving Unrelated Sentence
World’s Longest Direct Flight China Eastern to Launch 29-Hour Shanghai–Buenos Aires Direct Flight via Auckland in December
New OpenAI Study Finds Majority of ChatGPT Use Is Personal, Not Professional
Hong Kong Industry Group Calls for HK$20 Billion Support Fund to Ease Property Market Stress
Joe Biden’s Post-Presidency Speaking Fees Face Weak Demand amid Corporate Reluctance
Charlie Kirk's murder will break the left's hateful cancel tactics
Kash Patel erupts at ‘buffoon’ Sen. Adam Schiff over Russiagate: ‘You are the biggest fraud’
Homeland Security says Emmy speech ‘fanning the flames of hatred’ after Einbinder’s ‘F— ICE’ remark
Charlie Kirk’s Alleged Assassin Tyler Robinson Faces Death Penalty as Charges Formally Announced
Actor, director, environmentalist Robert Redford dies at 89
The conservative right spreads westward: a huge achievement for 'Alternative for Germany' in local elections
JD Vance Says There Is “No Unity” with Those Who Celebrate Charlie Kirk’s Killing, and he is right!
Trump sues the 'New York Times' for an astronomical sum of 15 billion dollars
Florida Hospital Welcomes Its Largest-Ever Baby: Annan, Nearly Fourteen Pounds at Birth
U.S. and Britain Poised to Finalize Over $10 Billion in High-Tech, Nuclear and Defense Deals During Trump State Visit
China Finds Nvidia Violated Antitrust Laws in Mellanox Deal, Deepens Trade Tensions with US
US Air Force Begins Modifications on Qatar-Donated Jet Amid Plans to Use It as Air Force One
Pope Leo Warns of Societal Crisis Over Mega-CEO Pay, Citing Tesla’s Proposed Trillion-Dollar Package
Poland Green-Lights NATO Deployment in Response to Major Russian Drone Incursion
Elon Musk Retakes Lead as World’s Richest After Brief Ellison Surge
U.S. and China Agree on Framework to Shift TikTok to American Ownership
London Daily Podcast: London Massive Pro Democracy Rally, Musk Support, UK Economic Data and Premier League Results Mark Eventful Weekend
This Week in AI: Meta’s Superintelligence Push, xAI’s Ten Billion-Dollar Raise, Genesis AI’s Robotics Ambitions, Microsoft Restructuring, Amazon’s Million-Robot Milestone, and Google’s AlphaGenome Update
Le Pen Tightens the Pressure on Macron as France Edges Toward Political Breakdown
Musk calls for new UK government at huge pro-democracy rally in London, but Britons have been brainwashed to obey instead of fighting for their human rights
Elon Musk responds to post calling for the murder of Erika Kirk, widow of Charlie Kirk: 'Either we fight back or they will kill us'
Czech Republic signs €1.34 billion contract for Leopard 2A8 main battle tanks with delivery from 2028
USA: Office Depot Employees Refused to Print Poster in Memory of Charlie Kirk – and Were Fired
Proposed U.S. Bill Would Allow Civil Suits Against Judges Who Release Repeat Violent Offenders
Penske Media Sues Google Over “AI Overviews,” Claiming It Uses Journalism Without Consent and Destroys Traffic
Indian Student Engineers Propose “Project REBIRTH” to Protect Aircraft from Crashes Using AI, Airbags and Smart Materials
French Debt Downgrade Piles Pressure on Macron’s New Prime Minister
US and UK Near Tech, Nuclear and Whisky Deals Ahead of Trump Trip
One in Three Europeans Now Uses TikTok, According to the Chinese Tech Giant
Could AI Nursing Robots Help Healthcare Staffing Shortages?
NATO Deploys ‘Eastern Sentry’ After Russian Drones Violate Polish Airspace
Anesthesiologist Left Operation Mid-Surgery to Have Sex with Nurse
×