King Charles III has been formally declared Britain’s head of state during a historic ceremony televised for the first time.
Charles’s role as King and the name he will use was confirmed during a meeting of the Accession Council attended by privy councillors at St James’s Palace in London on Saturday.
Following tradition, the new King was missing from proceedings and did not witness senior figures from national life including the Queen Consort, the new Prince of Wales, William, and the prime minister taking part in the ceremony.
Broadcast cameras were allowed into the historic event giving the world a first glimpse of an ancient ceremony dating back centuries – and one of the first changes to convention instigated by the new King.
More than 200 privy councillors – a group of mostly senior politicians past and present, some members of the monarchy and other national figures – were present to hear the clerk of the council read the Accession Proclamation.
The new monarch became King the moment his mother died, but an Accession Council must be convened following the death of a sovereign – usually within 24 hours.
- Queen Elizabeth dies at 96, ending an era (9 September)
By Tony Jones in London
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