- Queen, 96, died at Balmoral Castle in Scotland
- New King Charles III greets crowds in London
- “She’s all we’ve ever known,” says the mourner
- Tributes are pouring in from all over the world
- She was “the queen” for us, says France’s Macron
LONDON, Sept 9 (Reuters) – King Charles was greeted by crowds outside Buckingham Palace on Friday as he returned to London ahead of a televised address to a nation mourning the death of his mother, the Queen Isabel, after seven decades on the throne.
Charles, who raced to be by the queen’s side at her Scottish home on Thursday, returned to London with his wife Camilla, now queen consort, ahead of a meeting with the prime minister and a televised statement at 5 p.m. :00 GMT.
The death of the Queen, Britain’s longest-reigning monarch and a commanding presence on the world stage for 70 years, has brought messages of condolence from around the world.
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Outside Buckingham Palace in central London, Britain’s new monarch was met with cheers, applause and a crowd singing “God Save The King” as he made his first public appearance since ascending to the throne. Read more
“I said thank you for coming and I’m so sorry, and he said thank you,” said Denise Berriman, one of the people the new king spoke to during his impromptu 10-minute walk after stopping his car outside the gates of the palace. .
“Then I told Camilla to look after Charles, and she said, ‘I’ll try’. I was one of the first people to shake hands with the King of England. I was two-and-a-half when Elizabeth became queen. and we’ll never have anyone like her again, and now I’m 73 years old watching her son become king.”
Charles and Camilla briefly inspected the mass of flowers outside the famous black railings, before making their way to the palace where the flag of the British sovereign hangs.
Britain had woken up to its first day without a woman once described by her grandson Harry as “the nation’s grandmother”. Billboards across the city displayed messages of condolence and newspapers published front-page photo tributes to the Queen.
Buckingham Palace said there will be a period of mourning for family members and the royal household for up to a week after the funeral, the date of which has not yet been confirmed but is expected to be around 10 days
American broadcaster NBC reported that US President Joe Biden would attend.
Charles will be officially proclaimed king on Saturday at a meeting of the Membership Council held at the Palau de Sant Jaume, followed by proclamations throughout the country. Read more
NATIONAL MOURNING
The government has declared a period of national mourning that will continue until the state funeral, and an online book of condolence was opened.
Some people wept as they laid flowers at the royal palaces where thousands of people turned up throughout the day to pay their respects.
“She was amazing. She was like everybody’s grandmother,” said Kay McClement, 55, who came with a friend to lay flowers at Balmoral Castle.
Rail worker Liam Fitzjohn, 27, said he brought his daughter along for a moment in history. “It’s all we’ve ever known,” he said.
The government said it expected large crowds at royal residences and warned of possible delays on some public transport.
Elizabeth was head of state of the United Kingdom and 14 other kingdoms, including Australia, Canada, Jamaica, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea.
King Charles and Queen Camilla enter Buckingham Palace, following the passing of Queen Elizabeth, in London, Britain September 9, 2022. REUTERS/John Sibley
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Charles, who automatically succeeded her as king, said the death was a time of great sadness for him and his family.
“I know his loss will be deeply felt across the country, the kingdoms and the Commonwealth, and countless people around the world,” the 73-year-old said in a statement.
He will meet Prime Minister Liz Truss before heading to the country later.
There were gun salutes in London’s Hyde Park and the Tower of London, and the bells of Westminster Abbey and St Paul’s, as well as the Sevastopol Bell at Windsor Castle, captured during the century’s Crimean War XIX, they sounded.
Regular business in parliament was replaced by a special session for lawmakers to pay tribute to the Queen. Parliament will also meet on Saturday, which it rarely does, to pass a message of condolence to the king.
“Since last night’s shocking news, we have witnessed the most sincere outpouring of grief at the loss of her late majesty the queen,” Truss told lawmakers, who observed a minute’s silence at the start of the procedure.
“Her late majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, was one of the greatest leaders the world has ever known. She was the rock on which modern Britain was built,” said Truss, whom Elizabeth only appoint Tuesday in his last public office: the 15th. prime minister of his long reign.
Deprived of its symbol of continuity and resilience, Britain begins its new era with a new king and prime minister in a severe economic crisis and after years of political division.
The long-running industrial action triggered by rising inflation was called off during the mourning period.
The Bank of England said it would delay its monthly meeting to set interest rates by a week because of the death.
MACRON’S MESSAGE
News that the Queen’s health was deteriorating emerged shortly after midday on Thursday, when a palace statement said she had been placed under medical supervision, prompting her family to flee to Scotland.
The Queen has been suffering from what Buckingham Palace has called “episodic mobility problems” since late last year, which has forced her to pull out of almost all of her public engagements. Her husband of 73 years, Prince Philip, died in April last year.
Condolences have poured in from leaders around the world. From the Sydney Harbor Bridge to the European Commission in Brussels, flags flew at half-mast. Ferdinand Marcos Jr of the Philippines and French President Emmanuel Macron were among those who signed books of condolence. Read more
“For you, she was your queen. For us, she was the queen. For all of us she (will be) with us forever,” Macron said in a message to the British people.
Elizabeth, who was also the world’s oldest and longest-serving head of state, came to the throne after the death of her father, King George VI, on February 6, 1952, when she was just 25 years and oversaw a seismic shift in the society, political and economic structure of his nation.
She won praise for guiding the monarchy into the 21st century and modernizing it in the process, despite intense media scrutiny and her family’s often very public problems. Charles, who polls indicate is less popular than his mother, now has the task of securing the institution’s future.
“His Majesty King Charles III has an incredible responsibility that he now has for all of us,” Truss told parliament. “He has already made a profound contribution through his work in conservation, education and his tireless diplomacy. We owe him our loyalty and devotion.”
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Reporting by Michael Holden, William James, Kate Holton, Humza Jilani, Farouq Suleiman, Muvija M and Alistair Smout in London and Andrew MacAskill and Gerhard Mey in Balmoral; Editing by Kate Holton and Janet Lawrence
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