Britain has declared a period of mourning until the state funeral for Elizabeth
\nLONDON
\nWith a trumpet fanfare and gun salutes, Charles III was officially proclaimed king at a pomp-filled ceremony on Saturday, at which he pledged to emulate his late mother Queen Elizabeth II and serve for the rest of his life.
\nA court official wearing a feathered bicorn hat declared Charles \u201cour only lawful and rightful\u201d monarch from the balcony of St James\u2019s Palace after a historic Accession Council meeting of senior royals, clergy and government.
\n\u201cI am deeply aware of this great inheritance and of the duties and heavy responsibilities of sovereignty, which have now passed to me,\u201d Charles said in a speech before swearing an oath.
\n\u201cIn taking up these responsibilities, I shall strive to follow the inspiring example I have been set.\u201d
\nEight trumpeters accompanied the proclamation which was followed by a rousing three cheers for the new king by red-jacketed Coldstream Guards soldiers, doffing their distinctive bearskin hats.
\nCeremonial gun salutes boomed simultaneously across the United Kingdom and the proclamation \u2014 a hangover from the past where the new monarch needed to be announced to their subjects \u2014 was also read publicly in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales.
\nCharles, 73, automatically became monarch upon the queen\u2019s death Thursday, but the centuries-old constitutional formality \u2014 broadcast live for the first time \u2014 is the latest step in the setpiece 10-day programme building up to her state funeral.
\nAn emotional Charles set the tone for his reign in a televised address Friday in which he hailed his \u201cdarling mama\u201d for her \u201cunswerving devotion\u201d during her record-breaking seven decades on the throne.
\n\u201cThank you for your love and devotion to our family and to the family of nations you have served so diligently all these years,\u201d he said.
\n\u201cMay flights of angels sing thee to thy rest,\u201d he added, quoting Shakespeare\u2019s \u201cHamlet\u201d.
\nThe speech dominated the front pages of Britain\u2019s newspapers on Saturday, with his heartfelt tribute to his mother headlining the Daily Telegraph, Daily Express, Daily Mail, The Sun, and Daily Star.
\nCharles looking pensive as he arrived at Buckingham Palace for the first time as king made the front page image on The Independent, The Guardian and The Times, which also carried the words \u201cGod Save the King\u201d.
\nThe new king also named his elder son and heir Prince William, 40, as the new Prince of Wales, while expressing love for his younger son Harry and daughter-in-law Meghan.
\nThe move means William\u2019s wife Kate assumes the Princess of Wales title once held by his mother and Charles\u2019 ex-wife, the late Princess Diana.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Britain has declared a period of mourning until the state funeral for Elizabeth LONDON With a trumpet fanfare and gun salutes, Charles III was officially proclaimed king at a pomp-filled ceremony on Saturday, at which he pledged to emulate his late mother Queen Elizabeth II and serve for the rest of his life. A court […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":282720,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-282709","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n