King Charles III has promised to uphold Britain’s constitutional principles and said that, like his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, he would serve the people for the rest of his life.
In a televised address from Buckingham Palace, the king suggested that his reign would reflect the changes British society has undergone but seek to provide stability and continuity.
“In the course of the last 70 years we have seen our society become one of many cultures and many faiths. The institutions of the State have changed in turn. But, through all changes and challenges, our nation and the wider family of realms — of whose talents, traditions and achievements I am so inexpressibly proud — have prospered and flourished. Our values have remained, and must remain, constant,” he said.
The king confirmed that his wife, Camilla, would be Queen Consort and he passed on to his son William the title of Prince of Wales that he held for most of his adult life. And he expressed his love for Prince Harry and his wife Meghan “as they continue to build their lives overseas”.
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The king recorded the address after chatting and shaking hands with wellwishers outside Buckingham Palace and holding his first audience with prime minister Liz Truss inside. In the address, he pledged his commitment to Britain’s “constitutional principles” and renewed his mother’s vow to serve as long as he lived.
“I have been brought up to cherish a sense of duty to others, and to hold in the greatest respect the precious traditions, freedoms and responsibilities of our unique history and our system of parliamentary government,” he said.
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“As the queen herself did with such unswerving devotion, I too now solemnly pledge myself, throughout the remaining time God grants me, to uphold the constitutional principles at the heart of our nation. And wherever you may live in the United Kingdom, or in the realms and territories across the world, and whatever may be your background or beliefs, I shall endeavour to serve you with loyalty, respect and love, as I have throughout my life.”
He ended his address with a personal note to his “darling mama”.
“As you begin your last great journey to join my dear late papa, I want simply to say this: thank you. Thank you for your love and devotion to our family and to the family of nations you have served so diligently all these years. May flights of angels sing thee to thy rest.”
Earlier on Friday, MPs began paying tribute to the late queen, whom Ms Truss described as one of the greatest leaders the world had ever known.
Labour leader Keir Starmer said she was Britain’s greatest monarch and that for many of her subjects it was impossible to imagine the country without her. “Where everything is spinning, a nation requires a still point. When times are difficult, it requires comfort. And when direction is hard to find, it requires leadership. The loss of our queen robs this country of its stillest point, its greatest comfort, at precisely the time we need those things most,” he said.
King Charles will be proclaimed sovereign by the Accession Council on Saturday morning and will meet Ms Truss and her cabinet in the afternoon.
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The king will address parliament in Westminster on Monday before visiting Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast in advance of the queen’s funeral, which is expected to be held at Westminster Abbey on Monday September 19th.
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