A burst of royal pageantry at St James’s Palace for the proclamation of King Charles III is recorded by a sea of mobile phones
It was the moment that ancient royal tradition joined hands with the very modern.
As the proclamation of King Charles III’s accession was made from a balcony at St James’s Palace it was recorded by a sea of mobile phones.
The burst of pageantry was an echo of times past, when the nation had no other option but to take to the streets to hear the news.
The juxtaposition of old and new was befitting for a King whose reign will usher in a new era, a King determined to move with the times and reflect a less deferential 21st century society.
After he was formally declared monarch during a historic meeting of the Accession Council at St James’s Palace, David White, the Garter King of Arms, prepared to make the principal proclamation.
Below, a crowd of around 1,000 members of the public stood together quietly waiting to watch history unfold before them.
Privy counsellors and representatives of the Princess Royal’s Volunteer Corps and St John Ambulance congregated cheek by jowl.
The Queen’s grieving cousins, who served the late monarch throughout their lives, were also present beneath the arches of St James’s Palace.
The Duke of Kent, 86, appeared frail as he walked slowly but without an aid to sit on a red leather and wooden seat put out for him in the courtyard.
He was joined by his brother, Prince Michael of Kent, the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester and the Duke of Kent’s daughter Lady Helen Taylor.
The Duchess of Gloucester, sat next to the Duke of Kent, listened as he pointed towards the balcony discussing the scene before them.
At one point the Gloucesters stood with their arms interlinked.
The palace’s detachment of the King’s Guard made up of Number 7 Company, Coldstream Guards, had already formed up in Friary Court.
The King’s Colour and the drums, carried by The King’s Guard and The King’s Standard carried by The King’s Life Guard at Horse Guards were both “draped in black”.
It was a masterclass in royal choreography, an event that has been replicated for every new sovereign for 300 years.
Silence fell as eight State Trumpeters of the Household Cavalry filed out under the grey skies and lifted their instruments.
The arrival of the balcony party, which included the Earl Marshall and other officers of arms, was announced by a fanfare.
A royal salute was then sounded as they stepped out into the warm September air.
Timing was of the utmost importance and the Earl Marshal, the Duke of Norfolk – in charge of the accession proceedings and the funeral – checked his watch twice as they waited for the precise start time of 11am.
Right on cue, Mr White, resplendent in a red and gold velvet tabard, read out the 197-word proclamation declaring King Charles III the new monarch.
“We…. with one voice and consent of tongue and heart 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 happy liege lord, Charles III,” he said.
He ended by saying: “Given at St James’s Palace this 10th day of September in the year of our Lord 2022.”
How words were delivered without falter, his voice carried by two fluffy boom microphones hid out of sight behind the low dark-red brick balcony wall above the quadrangle.
The national anthem was performed by the Band of the Coldstream Guards.
The assembled King’s Guard then put their rifles on the ground and returned to a standing position.
They were ordered to “remove head dress” as Mr White called for “three cheers for His Majesty the King”.
The guards and crowds present in Friary Court, including the Duke of Kent, responded in kind, echoing his words and the soldiers doffed their bearskins three times.
Members of the household staff appeared moved as cheers from the crowds on The Mall and shouts of “God Save the King” flooded into the courtyard, as the national anthem was played, and those watching joined in.
The Duke of Kent raised his hand in the air for the two final cheers.
The balcony party returned inside to the palace through an opening created especially for the occasion by the removal of a 20ft-high sash window.
The pane of glass was removed entirely on Friday to allow the Garter King of Arms and the Officers and Serjeants of Arms ease of access – a scramble through a window unthinkable amid the carefully staged pomp.
It was replaced with a temporary window in case of poor weather and for protection, which was removed on Saturday as the scene was readied.
In the quadrangle, the King’s principal private secretary Sir Clive Alderton, clutching a series of documents, and the late Queen’s private secretary Sir Edward Young, were engrossed in conversation shortly before the public proclamation.
Both have key roles in the days ahead as Operation London Bridge gets underway, although King Charles has yet to set out the details of his royal court.
The Garter King of Arms confessed beforehand to being nervous at his “emotional” role.
“It’s a great honour and something that we have been preparing for for years. It’s a rather emotional occasion,” he said.
Asked if he had any nerves, he replied: “I do.”
His intricately decorated tabard, embroidered gold thread, was thankfully not heavy or hot, he disclosed, due to it being made of velvet.
Given the ancient nature of the ceremony, it was also remarkably new, having been made just 10 years ago when the previous one that dated from 1838 became too frail to be used.
“Every garment has its working life,” he added.
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?”
Charlene Butler, mother of one-year-old Erin Butler Martin, said she had come to the palace because “it’s a historical day” and “I wanted to be part of it”. Her daughter being there would be “something for us to remember together”, she added.
She was delighted to catch a glimpse of King Charles’s motorcade leaving the palace a few minutes later, sped on its way by cheers from the crowd.
Proclamations were later made outside the Royal Exchange in the heart of the City of London, where thousands gathered to witness the moment.
The second reading of the Accession Proclamation, performed by Timothy Duke, Clarenceux King of Arms, was met with applause and cheers of “God Save the King”.
The crowd then sang the national anthem followed by three cheers for King Charles.
The Coldstream Guards stood to attention as the proclamation was read out.
After the ceremony finished they marched away to the sound of a drumbeat.
The proclamation was historically made in the City to disseminate the message to the nation, allowing crowds to gather and hear the news.
Images from the same moment in 1952, when the young Princess Elizabeth was proclaimed Queen, show a remarkably similar scene.
Then, huge numbers packed into the city and hundreds more crowded onto nearby rooftops. Even the roof of the Royal Exchange was thronged with onlookers.
Today, health and safety regulations would prevent such frivolity. The only other notable difference between then and now is the London skyline.
Neatly encapsulating one of the vast changes Queen Elizabeth II witnessed in her lifetime, towering glass skyscrapers now dominate the landscape.
Then, the news of the King came as a huge shock and the public was not prepared.
Times may have changed but thousands still lined the City of London streets on Saturday to witness the pageantry, part of the fabric of British life.
In a statement, the Royal Exchange said: “It is the esteemed duty of the City of London to honour this tradition and ensure the areas around the route of the procession are secured so we can observe this profound moment in our country’s history with the greatest respect and compassion.”
Speaking afterwards, Chrissie Ellis, 61, from north London, said it was “extraordinary” to see the Accession Proclamation read aloud.
“I feel very privileged to have seen it,” she said.
Ms Ellis said that singing the national anthem 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.
“You’re so used to singing about the Queen.
“That’s what I’ve been brought up with and known all my life. It felt strange, but also momentous and historic.”
Canadian Emily White, 34, described witnessing the moment as “amazing”.
“It was amazing, I got here at 11.59am, so I got here right as it just started,” she said.
“There was an incredible feeling in the crowd. It was such a solemn moment.
“You really felt that [the] next era was starting, it was exciting.”
Ms White said the public are “still adjusting” to singing God Save the King.
“I think everyone is still adjusting, but still it was again an exciting moment, ready for the next generation to start,” she said.
However, Ms White added that singing the anthem was the standout moment for her.
“I watched the ceremony this morning at St James’s, but then hearing it said this morning, Charles III, it was very moving.”
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