The proclamation of Charles III as king on Saturday was marked with trumpets, cannon fire, and screams of "God save the King." The event had its origins in Anglo-Saxon times.
The kingdom will experience days of pageantry as it mourns Queen Elizabeth II and adjusts to a new monarch, but the historic ceremony at London's St. James's Palace is the first true taste of those days.
In addition, the Accession Council, when Charles, 73, swore his oath, was broadcast on television for the first time, giving the world a glimpse behind the scenes of a previously unrevealed event.
From the balcony of the palace, there was a public announcement and an eight-trumpet fanfare that announced the new king to the people below.
For the ceremony in 2022, tens of thousands of well-wishers gathered in front of the brick-walled castle and cheered when Charles was formally proclaimed king.
Although Charles already held the throne with Elizabeth's death on Thursday at the age of 96, the pomp-filled ceremony officially recognised his succession before his ultimate coronation.
“It’s a moment in history,” said Kelly Maynard, a 48-year-old from Australia, one of the countries that, like Britain, counts Charles III as its new head of state.
– ‘Heavy responsibility‘ –
The roots of the Accession Council lie in Anglo-Saxon councils more than 1,000 years ago which picked the monarch from among eligible royal males, according to research published by the British parliament.But its modern form dates from the accession of King James I in 1603. James ruled the then-separate kingdom of Scotland, meaning his rise to the English throne after the death of Elizabeth I had to be proclaimed in London in his absence.
In accordance with tradition, Charles was not present for the first part of the ceremony, which began at the stroke of 10:00 am (0900 GMT).
The 200 members of Britain’s Privy Council present included his wife Camilla, eldest son William, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Prime Minister Liz Truss, and all the living former prime ministers of Britain.
Representatives from the 14 countries where the queen is head of state apart from Britain — the “Commonwealth Realms” including Australia, New Zealand, and Canada — were also invited.
The clerk of the council announced that “Prince Charles Philip Arthur George is now, by the death of our lady sovereign of happy memory, become our King Charles III… God save the king!”
Charles then joined them for the second part in the palace’s crimson-and-gilt throne room, during which he took the royal oath.
He hailed his mother’s “example of lifelong love and of selfless service” during a reign spanning seven decades from just after World War II, and said he was “deeply aware” of the “heavy responsibility of sovereignty”.
In a poignant piece of symbolism, a red throne inscribed with his mother’s cypher “EIIR” (Elizabeth II Regina) stood empty behind him as he spoke.
– ‘Hip hip hooray’ –
The pageantry then soared to new heights, as trumpeters decked out in red, blue, and gold outfits unleashed a fanfare from the brick balcony overlooking Friar’s Court at St James’s Palace.Immediately afterward, David White, a bicorn-wearing official known as Garter King of Arms, read out the proclamation from a huge sheet of paper announcing Charles’ accession.
He called out “God save the King” and the newly worded national anthem was played.
It was followed by a rousing three cheers for the new king, with White crying “hip hip” and red-jacketed Coldstream Guards soldiers raising their distinctive bearskin hats and responding “hooray”.
Ceremonial gun salutes erupted at the same time across the country and the proclamation was read simultaneously in Scotland, Northern Ireland, and Wales.
Flags were flown at full mast until one hour after those proclamations to mark the change of sovereign, before returning to half-mast in mourning for the queen.
“This is the most monumental moment in modern history that we have the privilege to be part of,” said Samantha Carnear, a 35-year-old from Miami on holiday in London, carrying her young daughter in her arms.