Tearful Charles’s tribute to his darling Mama
KING Charles paid an exquisite and deeply personal tribute to his late mother last night in his first address to the nation as sovereign.
Describing his ‘loss beyond measure’, the new monarch said his ‘darling Mama’ had been an inspiration and an example not just to himself and his family, but to all. Speaking from the Blue Drawing Room
at Buckingham Palace, where the Queen recorded so many of her Christmas messages, a clearly emotional Charles said that he wanted to renew her promise of lifelong service to the people of Great Britain and the Commonwealth.
But most importantly he wanted to say thank you to one of the greatest and most inspirational women this country had ever known. Close to tears, he said: ‘ And to my 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.’
The King ended by quoting Shakespeare’s line ‘may flights of angels sing thee to thy rest’, spoken by Horatio after Hamlet’s death.
In a deeply moving message to the nation, the King also announced that William and Kate would henceforth be known as the Prince and Princess of Wales.
The last Princess of Wales was Diana, William’s mother. Last night a source close to the couple said that Kate ‘appreciates the history associated with this role but will understandably want to look to the future as she creates her own path’.
The King also paid tribute to ‘ my darling wife’ Camilla – now Queen Consort – and her ‘steadfast devotion to duty on which I have come to rely so much’.
And he made a point of expressing his love for his estranged son, Prince Harry, and his wife Meghan as they ‘continue to build their new lives overseas’.
Charles, 73, was wearing a black tie and suit and sat next to a posy of sweet peas mixed with rosemary, which represents remembrance. The vase had three corgis at the base and was situated in Queen Elizabeth’s audience room.
Vowing to bring the same sense of devotion to duty as his late mother, the King said: ‘I speak to you today with feelings of profound
‘Affection, guidance and understanding’
sorrow. Throughout her life, Her Majesty the Queen – my beloved mother – was an inspiration and example to me and to all my family, and we owe her the most heartfelt debt any family can owe to their mother; for her love, affection, guidance, understanding and example.
‘Queen Elizabeth’s was a life well lived, a promise with destiny kept, and she is mourned most deeply in her passing. That promise of lifelong service I renew to you all today.
‘Alongside the personal grief that all my family are feeling, we also share with so many of you in the United Kingdom, in all the countries where the Queen was head of state, in the Commonwealth and across the world, a deep sense of gratitude for the more than 70 years in which my mother, as Queen, served the people of so many nations.
‘In 1947, on her 21st birthday, she pledged in a broadcast from Cape Town to the Commonwealth to devote her life, whether it be short or long, to the service of her peoples.
‘That was more than a promise: it was a profound personal commitment which defined her whole life. She made sacrifices for duty. Her dedication and devotion as sovereign never wavered, through times of change and progress, through times of joy and celebration, and through times of sadness and loss.
‘In her life of service we saw that abiding love of tradition, together with that fearless embrace of progress, which make us great as nations. The affection, admiration and respect she inspired became the hallmark of her reign.
‘And, as every member of my family can testify, she combined these qualities with warmth, humour and an unerring ability always to see the best in people.
‘I pay tribute to my mother’s memory and I honour her life of service. I know that her death brings great sadness to so many of you and I share that sense of loss, beyond measure, with you all.’
Charles hailed Britain and all the other countries where his mother was head of state for their ‘talent, traditions and achievements’.
‘Our values have remained, and must remain, constant,’ he said.
The new King also renewed his responsibilities as supreme governor of the Church of England, a duty carried out by his mother with ‘unswerving devotion’.
He added: ‘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.’ Turning to his family, Charles acknowledged that it was a time of change for them too.
‘I count on the loving help of my darling wife, Camilla. In recognition of her own loyal public service since our marriage 17 years ago, she becomes my Queen Consort,’ he said. ‘I know she will bring to the demands of her new role the steadfast devotion to duty on which I have come to rely so much.’
Announcing that his son, William, would become Prince of Wales, he continued: ‘With Catherine beside him, our new Prince and Princess of Wales will, I know, continue to inspire and lead our national conversations, helping to bring the marginal to the centre ground where vital help can be given.’
A royal source close to William and Kate said they were ‘focused on deepening the trust and respect of the people of Wales over time’.
They added: ‘The Prince and Princess of Wales will approach their roles in the modest and humble way they’ve approached their work previously.’
Thanking the nation for its outpouring of support since his mother’s death on Thursday, Charles concluded: ‘In our sorrow, let us remember and draw strength from the light of her example.
‘On behalf of all my family, I can only offer the most sincere and heartfelt thanks for your condolences and support. They mean more to me than I can ever possibly express.’
Earlier King Charles III was greeted by kisses and shouts of ‘God Save the King’ as he arrived at Buckingham Palace for the first time since ascending to the throne. With the Queen Consort he received a rapturous welcome from thousands of wellwishers during the first royal walkabout of his reign.
Huge crowds cheered as the visibly-emotional sovereign arrived in a vintage Rolls-Royce and began shaking hands with countless members of the public.
In moving scenes less than 24 hours after the death of his mother,
‘Leading national conversations’
I shall endeavour to serve you with loyalty, respect and love
they broke into an impromptu rendition of the national anthem, with the words changed to King.
Then the Royal Standard was raised above Buckingham Palace to signify the sovereign in residence.
A bugle sounded as Charles, dressed in mourning black suit and tie, walked side by side with Camilla – who seemed close to tears – through the main entrance of Buckingham Palace.
In other developments:
The nation will be able to watch as Charles is formally proclaimed the new King today, with the ceremony televised for the first time;
Boris Johnson hailed ‘Elizabeth the Great’ during tributes from MPs in the House of Commons;
Gun salutes and peeling church bells broke the respectful silence across Britain in honour of the Queen;
A peak audience of 9.74million viewers tuned in to BBC One at 6.30pm on Thursday to watch Huw Edwards announce the news of the Queen’s death;
Across the country, wellwishers queued to sign books of condolence at churches, theatres and town halls;
A string of events was cancelled in a mark of respect, including this weekend’s Premier League football matches and the Last Night of the Proms;
The Bank of England postponed a meeting next week to decide whether to raise interest rates because of the period of national mourning;
Fellow ‘national treasure’ Sir David Attenborough, also 96, paid moving tribute to the Queen and her ‘precious’ laugh;
US President Joe Biden last night confirmed he would attend the Queen’s funeral at Westminster Abbey;
Emmanuel Macron departed from official French protocol
to deliver a touching eulogy for the Queen in English;
n Mezzo- soprano Katherine Jenkins made the first recording of the new national anthem, God Save the King, for the BBC.
Last night the Queen’s ‘long life spent in the service of this country’, love for her family and commitment to duty were honoured at a service of prayer and reflection at St Paul’s Cathedral. Around 2,000 members of the public joined new Prime Minister Liz Truss and other dignitaries for the service.
It saw the first official singing of God Save the King with lyrics changed from ‘Queen’ to ‘King’ and ‘her victorious’ to ‘him victorious’.
Earlier Miss Truss had her first audience with the King at Buckingham Palace – just three days after being formally appointed as Prime Minister by his mother.
Miss Truss paid tribute to the Queen as ‘one of the greatest leaders the world has ever known’, on the first of two days of special tributes by MPs.
She told the Commons: ‘On the death of her father King George VI, Winston Churchill said the news had stilled the clatter and traffic of 20th century life in many lands. Now 70 years later, in the tumult of the 21st century, life has paused again.’
The Queen’s death aged 96 on Thursday afternoon was announced by Buckingham Palace at 6.30pm. Courtiers have not revealed whether there was a cause of death other than old age, other than to say she had died ‘peacefully’.
Nor have they disclosed the exact time she passed away, although it is understood to have been around mid-afternoon. This would suggest that Prince Charles and Princess Anne were the only of her four children to have been there.
William, Prince Andrew, and the Earl and Countess of Wessex all made a dash from London but did not arrive at Balmoral until 5.06pm, believed to have been almost an hour after Downing Street was privately informed of the death.
Prince Harry was the last to reach the Scottish retreat, with the Buckingham Palace announcement made while he was still in the air.
Meghan abandoned plans to join Harry at Balmoral amid consternation behind palace doors.
Yesterday Charles and Camilla made the poignant journey from Balmoral to London in an RAF plane, followed later by William.
The palace has announced that the King’s accession council will be held today at 10am in St James’s Palace. With William in attendance, Charles will be proclaimed King and make his declaration and oath.
It will be followed by a flurry of
‘Crying, praying and laying flowers’
proclamations around the country, in the City of London at the Royal Exchange at midday today and further proclamations in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales at midday on Sunday. In his first act, the King has decreed that a period of ‘royal mourning’ for the Queen will be observed until seven days after her state funeral – which is expected to be on Monday, September 19.
Royal mourning will be observed by members of the Royal Family, royal household staff and representatives of the royal household on official duties, together with troops committed to ceremonial duties.
Kate and William last night changed their titles on their official Twitter page to the ‘Prince and Princess of Wales’. One source close
‘Creating unity and concord’
to the King said it had been a ‘difficult 24 hours’ but that he was ‘so grateful’ that he had been able to spend time with his mother before she died. On the King’s desk during the King’s speech was a photograph of his mother that he had chosen himself and had brought over from Clarence House.
Since news of the Queen’s death broke, thousands of people from across the country – and the globe – have visited Buckingham Palace in central London to feel part of a moment in history.
Many were crying, praying and laying colourful flowers at the wrought iron gates on Friday morning. Nearby florists had sold out due to rocketing demand, and charity staff were selling white flowers in Green Park for those streaming down the pathways that lead to the palace.
In his address the King acknowledged that his life had now changed and he would not be able to undertake the charity work he had spent the last six decades pursuing.
He said: ‘My life will of course change as I take up my new responsibilities. It will no longer be possible for me to give so much of my time and energies’ to the charities and issues for which I care so deeply. But I know this important work will go on in the trusted hands of others.’
Speaking at the St Paul’s service, dean designate Andrew Tremlett said: ‘We remember her long life spent in the service of this country and of her Commonwealth realms around the world. We celebrate her love for her family, her commitment to duty, and her calling to create unity and concord.’
In an eloquent and moving tribute, Boris Johnson told the Commons yesterday that the Queen ‘showed the world how to give, how to love and how to serve’.
As each hour passes, the collective sense of loss felt for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II grows ever more palpable.
We see it outside Buckingham Palace, where thousands of mourners, young and old, have braved the unpredictable weather to bid farewell to the mother of our nation.
We see it around the globe, where reports of her death led every news bulletin and world leaders have lined up to pay tribute to her extraordinary life.
After such a long and exemplary reign, it is right and fitting that over the next fortnight we will commemorate her passing with all the pomp and glory in Britain’s considerable armoury, leaving the rest of the world looking on in envious awe.
But with our longest- serving monarch gone, it is certain republicans will seek to exploit her death as an excuse to do away with our constitutional monarchy and continue their clamour for an elected head of state.
For years, Her Majesty’s near faultless custodianship and universal respect have left their movement depressed and demoralised. But with the country in the midst of transition, those previously inaudible whines will grow ever louder.
Doubtless they will trot out their usual well-worn arguments as to whether a modern democracy should be headed by someone who is only in place through accident of birth.
And while it is true the role of sovereign can sometimes appear anachronistic and symbolic, it is of crucial importance to the functioning of our democracy.
It brings both continuity and stability. By remaining above the fray of partisan politics, our head of state ensures the smooth transfer of power between governments.
On top of that, it has the ability to bring the country together in a way that no elected official possibly can.
For these vital reasons, the new King will need to show all of his mother’s deftness in diplomacy in order to silence the inevitable howls of protest which will greet his coronation.
Thankfully, however, there is every reason to feel confident that Charles has the makings of a fine monarch.
As Prince of Wales, he showed himself to be not just a passionate advocate for good causes, but also a prescient one.
His views on the environment and farming, for example, were dismissed by critics at the time as the rantings of an eccentric. But they have now become mainstream.
His impromptu walkabout outside the Palace yesterday, followed by a heartfelt address to the nation, demonstrated just how at ease with himself the once petulant prince has become.
Much credit for this must surely go to his wife Camilla, whose easy-going charm and humility has won over a once sceptical public. Her steady support as Queen in the years ahead will be invaluable.
As well as having the love of his life by his side, His Majesty will be able to rule confidently in the knowledge that Prince William and his elegant wife Kate’s star quality and enormous rapport with the public means he already has ready-made royal successors waiting in the wings.
Doubtless it remains a source of deep regret for Charles that his second son Harry and wife Meghan have declined to serve in this regenerated royal set-up to pursue commercial deals in America.
But the choice to do so was theirs and theirs alone.
No one has done more to capture the very essence of the monarchy than our dear departed Queen. Her commitment to her people remained undimmed right to the end. May God bless her.
Now it is up to King Charles to step up and carry forward the glittering legacy she leaves behind for future generations.