King Charles pledged on Saturday to follow the example of his late mother as he was officially proclaimed Britain’s new monarch in a historic ceremony featuring centuries-old tradition and the pageantry of trumpets sounding amid gold brocade.
The death of 96-year-old Queen Elizabeth on Thursday after 70 years on the throne set in train long-established and highly choreographed plans for days of national mourning and a state funeral that will be held in just over a week.
David Vines White is the Garter King of Arms, the senior official responsible for the heraldry of England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
He read the Principal Proclamation:
“We therefore the Lord Spiritual and temporal of this realm and members of the House of Commons together with other members of late Her Majesty’s Privy Council, and representatives of the realm and territory, aldermen and citizens of London and others do now hereby with one voice and consent of tongue and heart publish and proclaim that the Prince Charles Philip Arthur George is now by the death of our late sovereign of happy memory become our only lawful and rightful liege lord, Charles the Third.”
After the proclamation was read, state trumpeters situated below the balcony sounded the royal salute and a military band played the national anthem, God Save the King.