King Charles made an unprecedented speech to the Senedd on Friday afternoon, as he spoke in Welsh for more than a minute.
The new monarch, the country’s longest serving Prince Of Wales, gave a speech to the Welsh Parliament after receiving condolences.
He said it was an honour to be Prince of Wales and that his son William, who takes on the title, had a “deep love” for the nation.
The monarch added: “I take up my new duties with immense gratitude for the privilege of having been able to serve as Prince of Wales.”
It comes after the King and Queen Consort arrived in Wales to cheering crowds on Friday morning as the monarch marks his first visit to the country since ascending the throne.
Schoolchildren and members of the public lined the royal couple’s route as they travelled to different areas of Cardiff.
The warm welcome was seen as the King and Queen Consort travelled to the city centre for a Service of Prayer and Reflection at Llandaff Cathedral and at the end of the service as they headed for a visit to the Welsh Parliament, the Senedd.
At one point along the journey the King stopped the convoy of cars to enable him to get out and greet members of the public.
Charles and Camilla landed at Cardiff Castle shortly after 11am, and their arrival was marked by a booming 12-gun salute from Cardiff Castle, which was heard across the capital.
After arriving at the cathedral, the King met members of the congregation that included the Prime Minister, Liz Truss and leading figures from Wales including First Minister Mark Drakeford and Robert Buckland, Secretary of State for Wales.
After the service the couple travelled to the Senedd, where the King gave an address.
“I am deeply grateful for the words of condolence which so movingly paid tribute to our late sovereign, my beloved mother The Queen,” he said.
The King and Queen consort are embarking on a day-long tour of the Welsh capital, Cardiff, visiting three locations.
Their third visit will see the King hold audiences at Cardiff Castle.
The King was the longest-serving Prince of Wales, with the Queen bestowing the title on him when he was nine years old.
He was sent to study at the University of Aberystwyth, where he learned to speak Welsh, in the 60s.
His investiture was held in 1969 at Caernarfon Castle, which was a large display of pomp and pageantry and despite initial fears of protests, he was warmly received.
Decades later, Charles became the first member of the Royal Family to have a residence in Wales after buying Llwynywermod, a 78 ha (192-acre) estate in Carmarthenshire.
On his most recent trip to Wales with Camilla, thousands turned out on the streets of Treorchy, in the Rhondda Valley, to greet them.
But Charles III hasn’t always had an easy relationship with the country and protests greeted the King after he left the Welsh Parliament on Friday afternoon.
They are in response to the King’s decision to name his son William as Prince of Wales in his first speech as monarch last Friday.
A petition calling for an end to the title out of “respect” for the Welsh has since gathered more than 25,000 signatures.
Organisers of the protest have said the silent demonstration will start at 1pm on Friday and many are expected to stand and hold signs with slogans such as “Why a Monarchy?” and “Real democracy now”.
They hope the demonstration will prompt the Welsh public to consider whether a future without the monarchy is possible.
They have called on the Welsh Government and Cardiff Council to ask South Wales Police to respect their democratic right to protest, following the arrests and threats of action against people holding signs saying “Not my King” in other cities.
Activist and former Senedd Member for Plaid Cymru Bethan Sayed said: “As soon as King Charles III decided to announce that Prince William should become Prince of Wales, so soon after the death of the Queen, many of us felt compelled to respond.
“We must discuss the future of Wales, and what we want that to look like.
“People tell us that now is not the time to discuss this issue, however, when the monarchy passes from the incumbent to a new King, now is exactly the time to discuss this matter.
“It is about fairness, equality, and the Wales we want to shape for future generations.”
This story is being updated…
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