Amid great pomp and ceremony, King Charles III was publicly proclaimed as the new monarch of the United Kingdom from the balcony above Friary Court, part of St James’s Palace.

Charles III was proclaimed King of England by the Council of Succession to the Throne, a body of varied composition. After signing the oath, the monarch stood on the balcony of St. James’s Palace, saying in part of his brief speech “I will serve, after the example of Queen Elizabeth II, with the same devotion, the country, the crown territories and the Commonwealth realms”.  He also reiterated the sentiments expressed yesterday in his first video message to the nation as regent, in which the strong emotion over the loss of his beloved mother seeped through. “The role and duties of the monarchy will also remain, as will the particular relationship of the sovereign and the responsibility to the Church of England, the Church in which my own faith is deeply rooted”.

The new British monarch has fully assumed the legacy of his mother, Elizabeth II, no easy task after Britain’s longest reign, lasting 70 years.

Following the public proclamation of Charles III as King, gun salutes began at Edinburgh Castle in Scotland, Cardiff Castle in Wales, Hillsborough Castle in Northern Ireland and the Tower of London and Hyde Park in England. As messages of congratulations poured in from around the world.

The affection of Londoners for Charles III was immediately apparent yesterday outside Buckingham Palace, where hundreds of people continued to lay bouquets of flowers for the late Queen.

From Scotland, where Elizabeth died, it was reported that the Queen’s coffin will be taken to London. The funeral is scheduled for 19 September in Westminster with the participation of all the world’s greats.