Charles III was given a standing ovation in front of Buckingham Palace on Friday by thousands of people on his return to London. He will be officially proclaimed king on Saturday, taking over from Elizabeth II, whose death has plunged the whole of the United Kingdom into mourning.
Returning from Scotland dressed in a black suit, Charles III, 73, accompanied by his wife and now Queen Consort Camilla, shook hands for a long time when he got out of the car, greeting the crowd that has been gathering since the announcement of the disappearance of the queen on Thursday to leave bouquets of flowers and words of tribute.
“All our condolences”, “God bless you”, “I wish you the best”, some people threw at him, while others sang “God save the King”, now the country’s new anthem.
Then the king entered the palace, where he is to record, in the Blue Drawing Room, his first address as a monarch, which will be broadcast at 5:00 p.m. GMT on television, according to a statement from the Palace.
He will pay tribute to the one that the new Prime Minister Liz Truss described Friday as “one of the greatest leaders the world has ever known”.
Ms. Truss had already hailed Elizabeth II, who died Thursday at 96, the “rock on which modern Britain was built”.
The government “united in its support for the new king”, observed a moment of silence on Friday morning during an extraordinary council of ministers.
A religious ceremony in memory of the queen was also planned for the end of the day at St. Paul’s Cathedral in London in the presence of Ms. Truss, who must first meet the new king.
Bells rang at 1100 GMT in churches across the country, including Windsor where the Queen lived most of the time. Those of the Town Hall of Sydney in Australia, of which the queen was also the sovereign, had already sounded 96 times, once for each year of the deceased.
96 cannon shots sounded at 12:00 GMT, fired from Hyde Park but also at the castles of Cardiff and Edinburgh, York, Portsmouth and Gibraltar.
At Holyroodhouse, residence of the monarchy in the Scottish capital Edinburgh, preparations are accelerating under the wet eyes of many Scots to welcome the queen’s coffin in the coming days, before her return to London.
– “Not the same without her” –
Elizabeth II died Thursday “peacefully” in her castle of Balmoral in Scotland, where were then her son Charles and her daughter Anne.
Her two other sons Andrew and Edwards, and Prince William, now heir to the Crown, arrived after the death, which the Prime Minister had been informed of around 3.30pm GMT.
The King has made it known that the royal mourning – which involves family, staff and representatives of the Royal Household – will last until seven days after the Queen’s funeral, the date of which has not been confirmed, but which should take place on September 19. The royal residences will remain closed until after the funeral and the flags there will be at half mast.
National mourning, decreed by the government, must last him until the day of the funeral.
Thousands of Britons, some moved to tears, came to lay flowers in front of Buckingham Palace, Windsor and Balmoral in the north of Scotland.
Photos of the Queen made the front page of all British daily newspapers on Friday, for special editions in tribute to the one who had devoted her life to the Crown, crossing eras and crises with the same quiet and mysterious affability.
“I have goosebumps, you can feel that we are part of the same country and that it united us, it’s very beautiful, really”, tells AFP moved Shelley Bissett, 32, came lay a bouquet in front of Windsor Castle.
“I wanted to be here today… It’s very powerful to come together here with so many other people, to show how much we respect her. She’s done so much for this country, it won’t be the same without her”, abounds David Renn, 42, who came by bike from London to Windsor.
The late monarch, known for her sense of duty and her tongue-in-cheek humor, was omnipresent in the lives of the British, present on banknotes and stamps, which will have to change their face.
His portrait adorns London bus stops, replacing advertisements, and condolence books have been opened in some churches, as well as online at the royal family’s official website.
As some stores closed in mourning, the Bank of England announced the postponement for a week of its long-awaited monetary policy meeting given the current price spike.
Many sporting events, such as Premier League matches this weekend, but also the fashion shows of several designers, including the famous Burberry brand, scheduled for next week during London Fashion Week, have also been postponed, while railway and postal workers suspended their planned strikes to denounce the cost of living.
– “Beautiful smile” –
The new King Charles becomes the oldest British monarch at the start of his reign. He is infinitely less popular than his mother, who knew how to maintain the prestige and mystery of the monarchy, giving no interviews and keeping her opinions to herself.
He accedes to the throne in a difficult period, the United Kingdom facing the worst economic crisis in 40 years, while four Prime Ministers have succeeded in six years.
The Kingdom is shaken by internal dissension, between the consequences of Brexit, the desire for independence and tensions in Scotland and Northern Ireland. In the former British colonies that remained kingdoms, criticisms are also strong on the colonialist past and the republican inclinations are reinforced.
Although he had become much more present in recent months, often replacing his mother who was diminished by her health problems, it is a completely different challenge that now awaits the king, as head of state of 15 countries, of New Zealand to the Bahamas.
During her historic reign, Elizabeth II had known 15 Prime Ministers, whom she could listen to and advise during usually weekly private audiences on which nothing ever transpired. “She often had this little light and this beautiful smile, which (…) calmed the nerves of so many people,” former Prime Minister Theresa May told the BBC on Friday.
Liz Truss will have met two monarchs in four days, unheard of in British history.
After the funeral, the Queen will be buried privately in the chapel at Windsor Castle.
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