On the second day of national mourning the King and Queen greeted well-wishers on Stable Yard, off The Mall, on their way from Buckingham Palace to Clarence House.
Cheers and applause rang out as the state Rolls-Royce stopped unexpectedly, and the couple got out to speak to people who had waited for hours along the route.
Shouts of "God save the King" were heard along with a chorus of the national anthem.
Here is a recap of all the key events that happened today:
King Charles III was formally announced as the nation’s new sovereign during a meeting of the Accession Council this morning.
Members of the Royal family, including Princess Anne and the Duke of York, embarked on an impromptu walkabout at Balmoral following a short prayer service at Crathie Kirk.
A tearful Princess Eugenie laid a bunch of flowers with the rest of the tributes as Prince Andrew put an arm around his daughter as she wiped a tear from her eyes. Zara Phillips was also visibly upset.
The Duke of York raised his hand at the crowd, which was welcomed by well-wishers who waved back before breaking into a spontaneous round of applause.
The Cabinet had an audience with the King after he was formally proclaimed monarch.
The Prince of Wales released a tribute to his “Grannie” calling her “extraordinary”.
Prince William this morning invited Prince Harry and Meghan to join him and the Princess of Wales on a walkabout in Windsor.
It was an honour and a privilege to speak with His Majesty King Charles III today.
I expressed my sincere condolences for his loss and pledged my support on his accession to the throne. pic.twitter.com/3Ya6K4ZizA
Read the full piece on the period of mourning here.
Sir Keir Starmer pledged his loyalty to the King on Saturday by choosing a form of words that avoided referring to God, Will Hazel reports.
The Labour leader joined Liz Truss and other senior MPs in pledging their allegiance to the new King as Parliament met for a rare Saturday sitting, before the Cabinet was received by the sovereign at Buckingham Palace for the first time.
During the swearing in ceremony, MPs have an option of taking an oath or making a “solemn affirmation”.
Wednesday September 7, 2022, was just another busy day in the life of the heir to the throne: a day in Scotland where the man most of us call the Prince of Wales is known as the Duke of Rothesay, writes Alan Titchmarsh.
He was staying at Dumfries House, the centre of operations for his charitable organisation The Prince’s Foundation, of which I have been an Ambassador since its inception. The rain poured down as I left Southampton airport.
Continue reading here.
The Princess Royal will accompany her mother’s coffin from Scotland to London, as Queen Elizabeth II’s body is brought home, writes Victoria Ward.
The late Queen’s only daughter will make the solemn journey by air on Tuesday, Buckingham Palace confirmed.
The coffin will be taken from Balmoral to the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh on Sunday, transported slowly by hearse via Aberdeen, Dundee and Perth.
Read the full piece here.
The question of whether the Royal Households will ever refer to Camilla as "The Queen" rather than "Queen Consort" is one for the future, the King’s spokesman has said.
As the wife of the King, Camilla is technically Her Majesty The Queen, but in their briefings and statements Buckingham Palace has kept to Queen Consort.
A spokesman for the King did not rule out a shift when asked whether Camilla would forever more be known as Queen Consort, but said Charles and Camilla were concentrating instead on the events of the next week and a half.
"The King and Queen Consort are focused on getting through those next 10 days," the spokesman said.
Nicola Standen, 44, from Witham, Essex said that the Queen would be proud of her grandsons the Prince of Wales and Duke of Sussex for coming out and greeting crowds and Windsor Castle together.
Mrs Standen said: "That’s probably what she ultimately wanted.
"Nobody wants any upset in their family and you have to support each other at this time.
"I’m sure she’s looking down and is very proud of the brothers together.
"They’ve had such grief themselves so it’s good that they can support each other."
The King will attend the Scottish Parliament for the first time as monarch on Monday, it has been confirmed.
Members will gather at Holyrood to consider a motion of condolence following the death of Elizabeth II on Thursday.
Alison Johnstone, the presiding officer, will welcome the King and Queen to the chamber, before inviting each of the party leaders to speak on the motion.
Liz Truss will join the King as he leads "services of reflection" around the United Kingdom, Downing Street has said.
The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said she would travel with the King to Scotland on Monday, followed by visits to Northern Ireland on Tuesday and Wales on Friday.
"The Prime Minister believes it is important to be present for what will be a significant moment of national mourning around the United Kingdom," the spokesman said.
Young people in Australia like King Charles III because of his environmental activism and are more likely to support the British monarchy than middle-aged Australians, despite a growing republican debate in the Commonwealth country, writes Roger Maynard.
“When I travel around our branches the meetings are generally swamped with students,” Philip Benwell, national chairman of the Australian Monarchist League, told the Telegraph.
Read the full piece here.
Tina Ward, 60, from Englefield Green, Surrey said that it was good to see the Prince of Wales and the Duke of Sussex come out of Windsor Castle together to meet the crowd.
Ms Ward said: "It’s really nice to see the family united in grief. It’s a shame it’s in grief but it’s nice that they’ve come together.
"I think it’s nice to see them all united here in town in which the Queen resided.
"I’m sure she would have been absolutely delighted. As a nan myself, I’d be absolutely delighted if my grandchildren had made up and were reunited."
The Queen’s face "lit up with a big smile" when an MP said his constituency was where the BBC’s Last Of The Summer Wine was filmed, the Commons heard today.
Jason McCartney, Conservative MP for Colne Valley, spoke about when he was invited to Buckingham Palace to meet the Queen, telling the Commons: "She was asking me about my constituency and I told her that the market town of Holmfirth is in my patch.
"I said ‘Your Majesty it is where they film Last Of The Summer Wine on BBC One’ and her face lit up with a big smile.
"I don’t know whether she watched it or not, but to this day, I have this lovely image that on a Sunday tea time after a busy week she would sit down in an armchair, put on BBC One, and enjoy the gentle antics of Nora Batty, Compo and Cleggy – not that Cleggy – and relax."
The Queen received a bouquet of flowers from cheering bystanders as she returned to Clarence House, London, from Buckingham Palace.
Until now, the Queen has lain in an oak coffin, covered by a royal standard and a floral wreath, in the ballroom at Balmoral Castle, where estate staff have been able to say goodbye in private following her death on Thursday, writes Gordon Rayner.
It was described as “a scene of quiet dignity” by a senior palace official.
From Balmoral the coffin will travel to Edinburgh, London and finally Windsor, where Queen Elizabeth will be interred next to her husband Prince Philip in a small family vault.
The Duchess of Sussex was seen shaking the hands of several children and well-wishers at Windsor.
She walked over to a section of the crowd and approached a teenager, who was seen putting her hand over her mouth in shock.
The Duchess and her husband spoke briefly for a few moments and Meghan could be seen assuring a young girl by putting her hand on her shoulder.
The girl then said: "Can I have a hug?" and the Duchess was seen nodding, before leaning in and giving her a big hug.
The touching moment was filmed by other members in the crowd.
The Prince of Wales was seen speaking intently to a member of the crowd, at one moment shaking a woman’s hand. Both the Prince and Princess of Wales could be seen thanking people.
The Princess crouched down at one moment and began speaking to a child who had started to cry.
The child stopped crying when the Princess approached her.
A family of Manchester United fans bonded with the Duke of Sussex outside Windsor Castle.
Angela Fleming, 35, Jenson Fleming, six, Jacob Fleming, nine, Jamie Thomas, nine, Mason Thomas, 16, Jo Brown, 38, and Debbie Brown, 60, from Windsor and Bracknell, Berkshire, had been waiting for over an hour when the Duke and duchess approached them.
Harry clearly noticed Jacob, Jamie and Jenson’s Manchester United shirts as he said: "You all support Manchester United?"
When they confirmed that they did, the Duke shook Jacob, Jamie and Jenson’s hands and said: "How very convenient. I’m just glad you’re supporting the same team, how long have you been here for?"
Ms Brown said: "About an hour and a half but it was worth it."
Harry replied: "Thank you for that. At least it’s not raining."
In a message marking the King’s accession to the throne, Justin Trudeau, the Canadian prime minister, said:
"On behalf of the Government of Canada, we affirm our loyalty to Canada’s new King, His Majesty King Charles III, and offer him our full support."
The King, travelling down the Mall in his state Rolls-Royce, has briefly got out of the car. He is understood to be walking along the road stretching from Buckingham Palace to Trafalgar Square.
The King today approved an order that on Monday Sept 19, the day of the Queen’s funeral, there will be a bank holiday.
"As we grieve, we are comforted that King Charles III will be a great and outstanding successor to his cherished mother. He dearly loves the UK and its people. I know he will prove to be an inspiration to the British People."
The Prince and Princess of Wales were given bunches of flowers by members of the crowd at Windsor Castle as one visitor waved a Welsh flag in the background.
At one moment, a small Paddington Bear was given to William, which he passed on to an aide.
He was seen lightly touching Kate’s back at one moment as she crouched down again to speak to a child at the front of the gates.
The crowd was heard chatting excitedly and taking photographs as William and Kate and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex stopped to speak to each person at the front of the barriers.
A crowd at Windsor Castle broke out into applause as the Prince and Princess of Wales and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex approached members of the public and spoke to them.
The Prince of Wales was seen speaking intently to a member of the crowd.
The Duchess of Sussex was also seen shaking the hands of several children and well-wishers at Windsor.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were handed bunches of flowers by the crowd which they both accepted.
The Queen’s state funeral will take place at Westminster Abbey on Monday Sept 19 at 11am, the Earl Marshal, the Duke of Norfolk has announced.
The Queen’s oak coffin – which is lying in the Ballroom at Balmoral Castle – will be taken by road to the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh on Sunday, on a slow six-hour journey by hearse, to allow mourners gathered in the towns and villages to pay their respects.
On Monday, the coffin will be taken from Holyroodhouse in procession to St Giles’s Cathedral where it will lie at rest until Tuesday Sept 13, before being taken by air by RAF plane to London.
The Queen will lie in state "four clear days" in Westminster Hall, arriving there on Wednesday Sept 14 until 6.30am on the morning of her funeral, a senior palace official said.
Thousands of people will be able to file past to see the late monarch’s coffin – and further details of how the public can attend will be announced in the coming days.
Well-wishers and the media were surprised to see Meghan and Harry with William and Kate as they viewed floral tributes to the late Queen at Windsor Castle.
But a royal source said the new Prince of Wales asked his brother and his wife to join them in viewing the tributes.
A royal source said: "The Prince of Wales invited the duke and duchess to join him and the Princess of Wales earlier."
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex held hands as they looked at the tributes, with Harry at one point affectionately putting his hand on Meghan’s back.
They were seen pointing at different tributes and discussing them as members of the crowd waved at them.
The Prince of Wales this morning invited Prince Harry and Meghan to join him and the Princess of Wales on the walkabout in Windsor, the Telegraph can confirm.
Members of the public will be able to pay their respects as she lies in state at Westminster Hall, before a funeral at Westminster Abbey.
From there, she will be taken to Windsor Castle to her final resting place in St George’s Chapel, where she will be buried alongside her beloved parents, sister Princess Margaret and the Duke of Edinburgh.
The late Queen’s coffin will travel in a hearse from Balmoral Castle, Royal Deeside to the Palace of Holyroodhouse, Edinburgh on Sunday 11 September.
There will be opportunities for the public to view the royal hearse and pay their respects at civic events as it passes through Aberdeenshire, Aberdeen and Dundee.
Read the full piece by the Telegraph’s royal correspondent, Hannah Furness here.
Jill Hooson, a retired primary school teacher from Devon, had heard the sad news as she arrived in Edinburgh by train for a family 60th birthday on Thursday.
Speaking outside Holyrood, she said they "were able to hear all the 96 historic guns salutes in the park so that was, we felt it was very historic and then we just ended up here, just very moved by all these tributes."
She described the many bouquets of flowers as "beautiful". Some had also left mints, chocolate biscuits and teddy bears in memoriam.
"And the rainbow outside Buckingham Palace, that was just gorgeous, and also the fact that the Queen’s died here in Scotland, it was almost preordained really, but a shock, because she was working Tuesday wasn’t she?"
One woman from Edinburgh said: "I felt such a sense of loss, when I heard the news…and I just had to come and pay my respects and lay some flowers and just spend a little time just thinking about her life and my memories of her life and all she’s done for the country.
"I really wanted to say thank you for a long, dedicated service and I said we will all miss you terribly.
"It all happened so quickly and I think although we knew her age we expected her to live on and on, but it was the suddenness of it all really."
On Thursday, the world lost an extraordinary leader, whose commitment to the country, the Realms and the Commonwealth was absolute. So much will be said in the days ahead about the meaning of her historic reign.
I, however, have lost a grandmother. And while I will grieve her loss, I also feel incredibly grateful. I have had the benefit of The Queen’s wisdom and reassurance into my fifth decade. My wife has had twenty years of her guidance and support. My three children have got to spend holidays with her and create memories that will last their whole lives.
She was by my side at my happiest moments. And she was by my side during the saddest days of my life. I knew this day would come, but it will be some time before the reality of life without Grannie will truly feel real.
I thank her for the kindness she showed my family and me. And I thank her on behalf of my generation for providing an example of service and dignity in public life that was from a different age, but always relevant to us all.
My grandmother famously said that grief was the price we pay for love. All of the sadness we will feel in the coming weeks will be testament to the love we felt for our extraordinary Queen. I will honour her memory by supporting my father, The King, in every way I can.
Read more here.
Matthew Roland-Page, 25, had come to Balmoral with his 18 month year old baby Ezra, Max Stephens reports.
Standing with his young son in the crowd, Princess Beatrice picked him out and commented on how well-behaved Ezra was being. "She said he was being very patient and she wasn’t sure her children necessarily would."
Princess Beatrice recently gave birth to a daughter, Sienna, last September.
Speaking about why he had come to pay his respects to the Queen, Mr Roland-Page said: "I saw her when she came to the Royal Infirmary where I work a few years ago. My parents and my grandparents have also met her previously because they’ve both been to the Royal Garden parties, through their involvement in church and through the council.
"The Queen is a constant stabilising force, from Winston Churchill to the present day.
"I hope King Charles will be like his mother. I think the world needs more people with grace and a listening ear to the problems that the world is facing."
Donna Crompton, 58, tenderly held Princess Eugenie’s hand and patted her on the back after spotting her tearing up while walking towards the huge array of flowers left by mourners.
Ms Crompton had travelled 324 miles from Liverpool to Balmoral on Saturday morning alongside her husband Andy, 63, to pay her respects.
When she told Prince Edward, who was walking with his wife Sophie, how far she had travelled, he exclaimed: "Crikey, that’s a long way!". Donna said: "Sophie was also noticeably upset. She said ‘thank you for coming, it means a lot".
The Cabinet has had an audience with the King after he was formally proclaimed monarch in succession to the late Queen.
Liz Truss, the Prime Minister, took her senior ministers to Buckingham Palace to be received by the sovereign for the first time.
The King spent time talking to new Foreign Secretary James Cleverly and Defence Secretary Ben Wallace as they were flanked by the Prime Minister.
He was introduced to members by the Prime Minister as they lined up inside the 1844 Room at Buckingham Palace.
Following the Cabinet audiences, the King spent time meeting the leaders of opposition parties, including Sir Keir Starmer, the Labour leader.
The Queen’s "dazzling 1,000-watt smile" for visitors showed she recognised everyone who met her would treasure the moment forever, MPs have heard.
Greg Clark, a Conservative former cabinet minister, described the "overwhelming" moment when meeting the Queen at the Privy Council, joking: "I understand that men have suddenly been moved to curtsy in front of Her Majesty, and otherwise capable people swayed on the footstool while trying to kneel on one knee, holding up a bible in one hand and to recite the oath at the same time.
"The one person who didn’t mind, as has been said, was Her Majesty herself, who put everyone at their ease."
Mr Clark said he would "always be grateful" to former prime minister Boris Johnson for reappointing him to the cabinet over the summer, noting: "I was able to swear the oath of office to Her Majesty in person herself on July 8 at Windsor Castle.
"And when I shook Her Majesty’s hand I was greeted with the most dazzling 1,000-watt smile, sparkly eyes that suggested she was absolutely thrilled to see me. Now, I strongly suspect that Her Majesty’s demeanour did not reflect the fulfilment of a three-year hope that the prime minister would restore me to office.
"Instead it showed that at the age of 96, on a hot summer’s afternoon, Her Majesty still recognised that for everyone she met it was a moment that they would treasure forever."
Vladimir Putin was the first world leader to congratulate King Charles III on his official accession to the throne – even though the new King once compared the Russian president with Adolf Hitler, writes James Kilner.
In a brief message, Putin sent his "sincere congratulations" from the Kremlin to King Charles.
Read the full piece here.
Princess Anne noticed a bright bouquet of flowers held by Tom Harrison, 62, from Forres, Moray.
She asked Mr Harrison: “Are they from your garden?”
He later told The Telegraph’s Max Stephens that he had replied: “I’d not picked them myself," adding "I wish I’d lied and said they were from my garden.”
Mr Harrison said: “They were very sombre. They’ve lost their mum and their grandmother. It’s a family bereavement."
Jackie McIntosh, from Aberdeen, spoke to Prince Andrew outside Balmoral, Will Bolton reports.
He said: "It’s very sad, it is, to see him because they’re a family at the end of the day, who’ve lost their mum."
Another well-wisher, Sue, had travelled to Balmoral en route from a holiday at Gairloch near Ullapool and told Prince Andrew she was on her way home to Durham.
He expressed surprise at the distance she had travelled.
“Thank you very much for coming,” he said.
She told reporters she was initially reluctant to speak to Prince Andrew.
She said: "I really didn’t want to. I felt I couldn’t not because other people started to move away from him, so I needed to say something. But I didn’t feel comfortable."
This incredible slider shows crowds at the Royal Exchange today in London for the proclamation of King Charles, and those for Elizabeth II.
People are still leaving flowers and other tributes at both Balmoral Castle in Aberdeenshire, and at the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh – where one visitor left a copy of Michael Bond’s book Paddington At The Rainbow’s End.
A note written on it said simply: "One last story Ma’am. X"
Prince Andrew hugged both of his daughters Eugenie and Beatrice as they read messages laid in tribute to the Queen outside the gates of Balmoral.
As the Royal party made their way through the wrought-iron gates, Prince Andrew raised his hand at the crowd, prompting his companions to wave back as well.
The gesture was welcomed by the crowd who waved back before breaking into a spontaneous round of applause.
The royal party spent almost five minutes reading the floral tributes to the late Queen Elizabeth II
Camilla, the Queen, smiled and waved to well-wishers as she arrived at Buckingham Palace. Her husband, the King, had arrived separately in his state Rolls-Royce.
The Queen was later met with cheers from crowds outside as she left.
Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury, has met with King Charles III in their first official audience since the latter’s accession to the throne.
Kit Malthouse, the Education Secretary, and Jacob Rees-Mogg, the Business Secretary, walked through the gates of Buckingham Palace, while other Cabinet ministers were driven in ahead of their audience with the King.
Members of the Royal family have taken part in an impromptu walkabout at Balmoral following a short prayer service at Crathie Kirk.
Princess Anne, the Duke of York, the Earl and Countess of Wessex, Peter and Zara Phillips, Lady Louise Windsor, and Princess Eugenie stopped to look at floral tributes. Princess Eugenie laid a bunch of flowers with the rest of the tributes.
The Duke of York at one moment was seen putting his arm around his daughter as she wiped a tear from her eyes. Zara Phillips was also visibly upset.
It is the first time Prince Andrew has been seen at a public engagement since Prince Philip’s memorial.
The Countess of Wessex, her daughter Lady Louise Windsor and Princess Eugenie, all dressed in black, were seen attending a prayer service at Crathie Kirk, near Balmoral Castle.
The Duke of York and Princess Beatrice were seen arriving at the church shortly afterwards.
It is the first Prince Andrew has been seen in public since the death of Queen Elizabeth.
Well-wishers gathered at the proclamation of King Charles III on Saturday morning have told of their automatic urge to still sing God Save The Queen.
The national anthem has now changed to God Save The King with the monarch’s ascention to the throne.
Speaking after the reading had ended, Chrissie Ellis, 61, from north London, said that singing the national anthem at Saturday’s ceremony was the standout moment for her, although it was “really strange” to sing “King” instead of “Queen”.
“It’s just getting used to saying it,” she said.
Another mourner present, Canadian Emily White, 34, said she was "still adjusting" to the new anthem but “you really felt that a next era was starting, it was exciting".
A window was removed from St James’s Palace ahead of King Charles III’s proclamation ceremony to allow trumpeteers out onto the balcony.
After a poignant and sombre meeting of the Accession Council, David White, the Garter King of Arms, in his colourful regalia and flanked by other Officers of Arms and Sergeants at Arms, reading the proclamation of the new King from a balcony at St James’s Palace.
To allow them out onto the balcony, a pane of glass had to be removed from one of the palace’s windows in advance.
The day before the ceremony, the open window was pictured with a ladder propped up against it, seemingly during final adjustments to the building.
Frances Ashford traveled 70 miles from Carnoustie to Balmoral Castle to lay a bouquet of flowers, The Telegraph’s Will Bolton writes from Scotland.
The 70-year-old said: “Everything stopped when we heard the news of her death. My husband, David, worked for the Zimbabwean Consulate.
“He met Charles on a number of occasions as part of his job. He met the Queen as well and he said she was incredibly lovely to talk to. She put you at ease immediately. She was just like everybody else.”
Carol Ray, 55, made a much shorter journey from nearby Ballater to pay her respects.
The retired midwife said: “She was a huge presence in the local community. I was stupidly shocked when she died. It’s all very surreal. I just expected her to live forever."
One well-wisher left a marmalade sandwich inside a zipped plastic bag next to a stuffed Paddington Bear at the gates of the Palace of Holyroodhouse.
The sandwich and the bear are nods to the sketch the Queen was in with the famous children’s character for her Platinum Jubilee celebrations in June.
During the sketch, the Queen joked to Paddington that she liked to keep marmalade sandwiches in her handbag and pulled one out to demonstrate.
At the palace gates, some people could be seen wiping tears from their eyes.
King Charles III paid tribute to the reign of the late Queen, “unequalled in its duration, its dedication and its devotion”, as he was formally declared the nation’s new monarch.
During a poignant and sombre meeting of the Accession Council, the King spoke movingly about his mother and the grief his family is experiencing, but said the “sympathy expressed by so many to my sister and brothers” had been the “greatest consolation”.
Watched by the Queen, the new Prince of Wales and more than 200 privy counsellors – including six former prime ministers – the King pledged himself to the task now before him and the “heavy responsibilities of Sovereignty”.
Read His Majesty’s full emotional declaration here
South Africa’s late president Nelson Mandela once joked with Queen Elizabeth about her weight on a visit to Buckingham Palace, his former private secretary has said.
Mandela once sat in the same horse-drawn royal carriage with the queen passing through the streets of London.
"They had a very warm friendship," Zelda la Grange, Mandela’s private secretary from 1994 to 2013, said on Friday.
"They shared the sense of duty, the sense of service and a calling that they adhered to throughout their lives.
"We were in Buckingham Palace once… he walked up to the queen and when he saw her he said: ‘Elizabeth, you’ve lost weight!’ and the queen burst out laughing. I think he was the only person in the world who could comment on the queen’s weight and get away with it."
Privy counsellors, members of the public and representatives of the Princess Royal’s Volunteer Corps and St John Ambulance congregated cheek by jowl in Friar Court at St James’s Palace to hear the Proclamation, Will Hazell writes.
Speaking to The Telegraph immediately after the Accession Council, Labour’s deputy leader, Angela Rayner, said attending the event was a “once in a lifetime” and “extraordinary” experience.
She noted how “people have travelled from all over the world” to witness the events marking the Queen’s death and the proclamation of the King. “People are very proud of our country and the Commonwealth, and what it means to us,” she said.
Leaving the palace, new security minister and former Tory leadership contender Tom Tugendhat took time to say hello to onlookers. Greeting a mother who had brought her baby, he said to the child: “Did you say hi to your new King?”
That’s it for today’s ceremonies, ahead of some more stripped down Royal events in the diary this afternoon. Here’s what the first proclamation looked like in full splendour.
A large round of applause rings out at the end of the second ceremony, with hundreds of people gathered to watch the latest pageantry at the Royal Exchange in the City of London.
A procession is now returning to Mansion House, led by the Lord Mayor of London.
The Company of Pikemen and Musketeers is accompanied by the band of Honourable Artillery Company, marching with music to Mansion House from where they will dismiss.
With noon, trumpets have just sounded at the Royal Exchange in central open to open the second Proclamation of Charles III.
Clarenceux King of Arms reads the Proclamation and finishes it by declaring "God Save The King".
The Trumpeters are now sounding a Royal Salute, followed by the National Anthem played by the band of Coldstream Guards.
It concludes with the Lord Mayor of London calling for three cheers for the King.
A second proclamation will be read at the Royal Exchange in London at the strke of midday, where numerous officials have now gathered.
Further proclamations will be read in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales at 12pm the following day (Sunday).
In mid-afternoon, the King will hold audiences with the Prime Minister and the Cabinet.
Stay here for the latest.
Reservists from 206 Battery 105 Regiment Royal Artillery fired the salute at Hillsborough Castle in Co Down watched by Steve Baker, minister of state for Northern Ireland.
Coldstream Guards and the King’s Guard were present alongside eight state trumpeters of the Household Cavalry at St James’s Palace.
The King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery (RHA) is a British Army mounted ceremonial unit that fires royal salutes on royal anniversaries and state occasions, fired 41 rounds beside Park Lane
The HAC dates its origins back to 1537, making it the oldest regiment in the British Army. It took over the role of firing gun salutes from the Tower of London in 1924.
Shouts of “Long live the King” were heard as spectators lined up across Tower Bridge and along the Causeway inside the tower to watch gun salutes ring out for King Charles III.
The Honourable Artillery Company (HAC), in ceremonial dress, were seen driving in liveried Pinzgauer vehicles through the City of London past a thousands-strong crowd of watchers.
They travelled with police escort to the Thames riverbank, where guns were positioned facing HMS Belfast.
Salutes were also fired from Cardiff Castle, Edinburgh Castle, Gibraltar, Colchester, York, Larkhill near Stonehenge, naval bases in Devonport and Portsmouth and a number of stations at sea.
A celebration of Queen Elizabeth II’s reign and the ascention of the new King Charles III is now beginning across the country.
Gun salutes are now being fired at the Tower of London and Hyde Park.
To coincide with the Principal Proclamation at 11am, a Royal Salute of 41 rounds is being fired by The King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery (RHA) in Hyde Park, and a Royal Salute of 62 rounds from HM Tower of London fired by the Honourable Artillery Company.
A Royal Salute of 21 rounds will be fired from all other saluting stations on land and sea.
All rounds will be fired at 10 second intervals.
The assembled cavalry, foot guards, Coldstream Guards band and other divisions launch into three roaring cheers for the King.
They sing: "Hip hip, hooray, hip hip, hooray, hip hip, hooray!"
A gun salute and an orchestral rendition of God Save the King is also played in the St James’s courtyard.
The Principal Proclamation has just been read in public for the first time by the Garter King of Arms in the open air from the balcony overlooking Friary Court at St James’s. It concludes with the words:
"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 lieged Lord, Charles III.
"By the grace of God of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and of his other realms and territories, King, head of the Commonwealth, defender of the faith, to which we do acknowledge all faith and obedience with humble affection.
"Beseeching God, by whom Kings and Queens do reign, to bless His Majesty with long and happy years to reign over us. Given at St James’s Palace, this tenth day of September, in the year of our Lord 2022."
The next part of the proclamation proceedings is now beginning – this time out in the open air involving plenty of pomp and pageantry.
The Coldstream Guards are lined in formation in the grounds of St James’s Palace.
Now it is time for the Principal Proclamation of King Charles III.
With the strike of 11am, the trumpets sound.
The King, Prince of Wales and Queen Consort then leave the throne room with their Royal Household to conclude the Accession Council.
The privy counsellors present are then invited to exit via the picture gallery and to sign the proclamation.
Great seals are being used to set the orders in stone, as in centuries past during this ancient ceremony.
There will now be a short pause in proceedings before a Principal Proclamation will be read in public for the first time at 11am by the Garter King of Arms in the open air from the balcony overlooking Friary Court at St James’s Palace.
The King has approved an order that the day of the Queen’s funeral will be a bank holiday in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
The date of the funeral itself has not yet been fixed.
Charles III proceeds to sign a proclamation during the Accession Council confirming the bank holiday.
His Majesty, by tradition, takes an oath relating to the security of the Church of Scotland. He then signs paper to confirm the oath has been taken. He signs as ‘Charles R’.
The Prince of Wales then follows by signing the seals ‘William P’, for prince, as does the Queen Consort.
Nicola Sturgeon, the First Minister of Scotland, also signs the two documents, followed by several others.
King Charles III in his declaration speech says he is "deeply aware" of his role and the "deepest responsibilites of sovereignty which have passed to me".
He says he will "strive to follow the inspiring example I have been set in upholding constitutional government and to seek the the peace, harmony and prosperity of the peoples of these islands and the Commonwealth realms and territories around the world".
He thanks his "beloved wife" for her "constant support".
King Charles III is now speaking in the ceremony to accept the role as sovereign.
In his speech, he says: "My lords, ladies and gentlemen it is my most sorrowful duty to announce to you the death of my beloved mother the Queen.
"I know how deeply you, the entire nation and I think I may say the whole world sympathise with me in the irreparable loss we’ve all suffered.
"It is the greatest consolation for me to know the sympathy expressed by so many to my sister and brothers and that such overwhelming affection and support should be extended to our whole family in our loss.
"To all of us as a family, as to this Kingdom and the wider family of nations of which it is a part, my mother gave an example of lifelong love and selfless service.
"My mother’s reign was unequalled in its duration, its dedication and devotion. Even as we grieve we give thanks for this most faithful life."
The Accession Council members are now filing out of the picture gallery and into the throne room, where the next part of the ceremony will take place.
Once all members have reached the throne room the proclamation will begin.
The proclamation ceremony will feature a platform party, made up of Camilla, William, the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Lord Chancellor, the Archbishop of York, the Prime Minister, the Lord Privy Seal, the Lord Great Chamberlain, the Earl Marshal and the Lord President, who will sign the Proclamation.
During the event the Lord President will announce the death of the sovereign and call upon the Clerk of the Council to read aloud the text of the Accession Proclamation.
It will include Charles’s chosen title as King, already known to be King Charles III.
At 11am a Principal Proclamation will be read in public for the first time by the Garter King of Arms in the open air from the balcony overlooking Friary Court at St James’s.
King Charles III has been formally announced as the nation’s new sovereign during a meeting of the Accession Council.
"That concludes the business for this part of the council," the lead speaker Penny Mordaunt tells the privy counsellors.
"I now invite the deputation party to accompany me to wait on the King in the council chamber."
The Prime Minister, Liz Truss, as well as Penny Mordaunt, leader of the House of Commons and the archbishops of Canterbury and York then follow by signing the proclamation.
The Accession Council of privy counsellors has now formally declared the death of Elizabeth II.
A chant of ‘God save the King’ has just erupted in the St James’s Palace ceremony after Charles III is proclaimed as King.
Members are then invited to sign the proclamation and first to sign is William, the Prince of Wales.
Camilla, the Queen Consort, then steps forward and follows by signing the piece of paper.
The Accession Council ceremony is now beginning.
Senior dignatories are gathered in the St James’s Palace drawing room, many wearing morning suits and all wearing black.
Penny Mordaunt, as leader of the House of Commons, opens proceedings by announcing the death of Queen Elizabeth II.
The Queen Consort and heir the Prince of Wales stand behind her on a raised platform.
Saturday marks D-Day +1, or D+1, in the plans for the aftermath of the death, codenamed London Bridge.
This is because the announcement took place late on Thursday, meaning plans were shifted a day to allow the complex arrangements to be put in place.
Flags will also be flown at full-mast from 11am for about 24 hours, which will be until one hour after the proclamations are made in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales.
They will then return to half-mast in mourning for the Queen.
The Government is expected to confirm the length of national mourning, which is likely to be around 12 days, up to the day after the Queen’s funeral.
They are also expected to announce that the funeral day will be a public holiday in the form of a Day of National Mourning.
Preparations are well underway for this morning’s Accession Council, with key guests currently streaming into St James’s Palace for the historic ceremony.
Arrivals so far include the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, Business Secretary Jacob Rees-Mogg, the Rt Revd John Sentamu and the MPs Harriet Harman, Yvette Cooper, Emily Thornberry and Tom Tugendhat.
Cabinet members Kwasi Kwarteng, Kemi Badenoch, Penny Mordaunt, Therese Coffey and Nadhim Zahawi have also arrived.
Stay here for live updates ahead of the 10am ceremony.
Tributes will be paid to Her Majesty The Queen at the sporting events going ahead on Saturday after football fixtures were postponed as a mark of respect.
Players and coaches will wear black armbands during the deciding Test between England and South Africa at the Kia Oval, where there will be a minute’s silence followed by the national anthem ahead of the match.
Similar scenes are expected at Premiership Rugby fixtures, Super League games and the BMW PGA Championship golf tournament at Wentworth.
It comes after fan fury and civil war within clubs on Friday at a wave of cancellations following Her Majesty’s death, including all Premier League fixtures axed. Read more on that row here.
By 8am on Saturday, thousands of well-wishers had gathered outside Buckingham Palace to pay their respects to the Queen.
Mourners continued to bring bouquets of flowers, candles, notes, and other tributes to lay at the palace gates, often in silence, ahead of the historic Accession Council meeting.
Meanwhile at Balmoral Castle, where the Queen’s coffin currently lies, a stream of people crossed a bridge over the River Dee to lay flowers before 9am on Saturday. One note said: “There will always be a special place in heaven for you.”
Thousands of bouquets have now been left at the gates of her beloved Scottish home, but are not wrapped in plastic to be friendly to the environment.
It was the scene of the royal brothers’ greatest tragedy; the backdrop to their darkest hour as they learnt of the death of their mother, Diana, Princess of Wales, 25 years ago.
The added poignancy of the Queen passing away at her beloved Balmoral will not have been lost on Princes William and Harry as they raced to their grandmother’s Scottish home in her final hours on Thursday.
If the once inseparable siblings were to patch up their differences anywhere, then surely the heather-strewn wilds of Royal Deeside would provide the perfect conditions for a timely rapprochement?
Yet in being the last to arrive at the baronial castle – and the first to leave yesterday morning, the extent of Harry’s defenestration from The Firm could not appear more marked.
As the longest serving heir apparent in history, he had waited his whole life for this moment. When it came, here’s what Charles III’s first “King’s speech” included.
Camilla Tominey: Charles wore his heart on his sleeve
King Charles III will be proclaimed the nation’s new monarch this morning at an Accession Council attended by the Queen, the Duke of Cornwall and Cambridge, and senior Government ministers and judges.
As is convention, a second proclamation will be read at the Royal Exchange in the City of London at 12pm. Further proclamations will be read in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales at 12pm on Sunday.
Here’s what else you can expect.
Here’s what we know so far about the Coronation of King Charles III.
Read more on the plans here.
The King will take a more “entrepreneurial” approach to the way royal palaces and residences are used and could gift Balmoral to the nation, senior sources have suggested.
His Majesty faces major decisions over who will live at the large number of state-owned and privately-owned homes that now come under his control, and he is likely to decide on radical changes for some of the country’s most famous buildings.
Buckingham Palace is likely to be made to pay its own way, according to those familiar with the King’s thinking.
Queen Elizabeth II had four main residences – Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle, Balmoral and Sandringham.
The King also has Clarence House, Highgrove, Birkhall and Llwynywermod, his cottage in Wales, as well as Kensington Palace and other residences.
Members of the Cabinet will have their first meeting with the King just days after Liz Truss formed her new Government.
Senior ministers will attend the Accession Council at St James’s Palace where Charles will be formally proclaimed sovereign.
Later they will travel to Buckingham Palace for an audience with the monarch.
Ms Truss, who was invited to form a Government by the late Queen on Tuesday, had her initial audience with the King on Friday.
Queen Elizabeth II was the most portrayed human being in history. From stamps to coins, posters to paintings, t-shirts to souvenir tea sets, her image surrounded us for most of her 70-year reign.
For those commissioned to create her official likeness who spent hours, sometimes days in her company, what was she like as a sitter? How did it feel to depict a monarch – and, inevitably, mark time’s passing? And how do they look back on their encounter, now that she is gone?
The Telegraph spoke to nine portrait artists and photographers about their experience.
Read the full story here.
Japan’s Emperor Naruhito is reportedly planning to attend the funeral of Queen Elizabeth.
It would be his first overseas trip since acceding to the throne in May 2019. Empress Masako has also expressed a wish to attend and the Japanese Government is arranging their trip, according to Japanese media reports citing government sources.
It is rare for a Japanese emperor to attend a royal funeral overseas.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida may also attend.
The Royal family and Japan’s imperial family have longstanding ties. The Emperor was invited to the UK by the late Queen in 2020, but the trip was postponed due to the Covid pandemic.
Queen Elizabeth, who visited Japan in 1975 to meet then-Emperor Hirohito, made a "great contribution" towards strengthening Japan’s ties with Britain, Mr Kishida said on Friday.
Emperor Naruhito, who studied at Oxford University in the 1980s, was "deeply saddened" by the Queen’s death, the Imperial Household Agency said. Empress Masako also studied at Oxford.
The couple went into three days of mourning on Friday as they were feeling "deep grief and heartfelt condolences".
Here is what is expected to happen today, as Britain prepares for flags to return to full-mast to salute our new King.
10am – King Charles III will be proclaimed at the Accession Council in the state apartments at St James’s Palace in London.
The event, attended by privy counsellors, is divided into two parts. In the first part, the Privy Council will proclaim the King and formally approve various consequential orders.
The second part is held by the King of His Majesty’s first Privy Council. The King will make his declaration and read and sign an oath to uphold the security of the Church in Scotland and approve orders in the council which facilitate continuity of the Government. The King will be accompanied by the Queen Consort and the Prince of Wales as they are both privy counsellors.
11am – The Principal Proclamation then follows. It will be read from the balcony overlooking Friary Court at St James’s Palace. The proclamation will be read by the Garter King of Arms, accompanied by the Earl Marshal, other Officers of Arms and the Serjeants at Arms. This will be the first public reading of the proclamation.
Flags will also be flown at full-mast from 11am for about 24 hours, which will be until one hour after the proclamations are made in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales. They will then return to half-mast in mourning for the Queen. Gun salutes will also take place at Hyde Park and the Tower of London.
12pm – A second proclamation will be read at the Royal Exchange in London. Further proclamations will be read in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales at 12pm on Sunday.
Mid-afternoon – The King will hold audiences with the Prime Minister and the Cabinet.
The Crown, Netflix’s acclaimed series about Queen Elizabeth II and the Royal family, has paused production due to the monarch’s death.
A spokesperson for the series said production was paused on Friday "as a mark of respect" and will also be suspended on the day of the queen’s funeral.
The show is in production on its sixth season. Its first two seasons starred Claire Foy as the young Princess Elizabeth ascending to the throne and gradually growing into her role as monarch, and seasons three and four featured Olivia Colman as a more mature queen.
The show has gradually moved closer to current events. Netflix recently revealed casting of the actors who are playing Prince William and his wife Kate in the sixth season.
Its fifth season, with Imelda Staunton playing the Queen, will premiere in November.
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