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God Save the King will ring out across Sydney on Sunday as the new monarch is proclaimed and the city’s Anglicans come together.
St Andrew’s Cathedral staff are considering purchasing additional condolence books after Sydneysiders flocked to the venue to pay their respects to the late Queen Elizabeth II, who died on Thursday in Scotland. The books will eventually be sent to Buckingham Palace.
Parishioners gather at St Andrew’s Cathedral in Sydney on Friday night. Credit:Wolter Peeters
“It’s been really gratifying to see so many people coming here to remember her,” Helen, the office manager of the cathedral, said. “We’re thinking about going to buy more condolence books. People are coming here to share their memories of her. There are lots of young people coming in, too, which we’re very pleased to see.”
She said the cathedral was looking forward to King Charles III’s reign.
“He’s said he is going to rule in the same way as his mother, so we’re pleased about that.”
On Saturday, mourners and well-wishers gathered at the cathedral and Government House to pay tribute to the Queen.
Meredith Kirton laid a wreath of flowers she gathered from the bush at Government House in Sydney on Saturday. Credit:Flavio Brancelone
As she drove to Sydney from the mid-north coast, Meredith Kirton gathered native flowers from the bush to create a wreath in commemoration of the Queen.
“When the Queen came to reign, she would have only had home-made flowers, beautiful flowers from peoples’ gardens,” Curtain said at Government House. “I know she loved Australia and she loved flowers, so I made this for her.”
Calling him an “incredible environmentalist”, Curtain said she would “watch with interest” the reign of King Charles III.
Four-year-old Rose Jennifer Bell arrived clutching a bunch of flowers to lay in tribute to the Queen.
Rose Jennifer Bell lays flowers at Government House in Sydney on SaturdayCredit:Flavio Brancaleone
Her father, Mitchell Grace, said it was an important moment in world history to mark.
“She was part of all our lives, even if she didn’t know us,” he said.
Asked what he thought of King Charles III, he said his speech was “graceful”.
“He has to mourn his mother in front of the world, I can’t even begin to imagine,” he said.
Grace took his two sons on the Manly Ferry on Friday night to see the images of the Queen projected onto the Sydney Opera House. “It sent chills down my spine,” he said.
At the cathedral, a portrait of the Queen sits in the entrance, with several bunches of flowers surrounding it.
On Sunday, the cathedral will join churches around the world in singing God Save the King for the first time in decades. While protocol dictates that memorial services are not allowed to take place until after the Queen’s funeral, the cathedral’s services on Sunday – particularly the 10.30am gathering – will focus on giving thanks for the life of the Queen. Additional services are at 8.30am and 5pm.
On Sunday, a proclamation ceremony to mark the accession of King Charles III will be held from 12.30pm at NSW Parliament House.
Macquarie Street between Bent Street and St James Road will be closed to traffic from 9am to 3pm.
The ceremony is open to the public and will begin with a Welcome to Country by Yvonne Weldon.
The Governor of NSW, Her Excellency the Honorable Margaret Beazley, will make the proclamation before the police band plays God Save the King.
The Sydney proclamation will follow the Governor-General’s proclamation in Canberra at noon.
Sporting teams and organisations across the country again honoured the late Queen on Saturday.
A minute’s silence took place at race tracks in NSW and Victoria, as well as others throughout the country, on Saturday, while jockeys also wore black armbands.
Jockeys pause for a minute’s silence in honour of the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, during Sydney racing at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday.Credit:Mark Evans
However, the AFL decided there would be no minute’s silence before AFLW matches this round after clubs questioned whether it was appropriate to do so in the competition’s Indigenous round. Concerns were raised about the lack of consultation with clubs before the decision was announced, given the round had been planned to respect and honour Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
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