Western Daily Press (Saturday)
‘I renew my mother’s
THE King has delivered a historic televised address to the nation, paying a poignant and moving tribute to his “darling Mama” the Queen in his first public broadcast as monarch.
Charles said of his “beloved mother” the late Elizabeth II: “We owe her the most heartfelt debt any family can owe to their mother; for her love, affection, guidance, understanding and example”.
He added: “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. May ‘flights of Angels sing thee to thy rest’.”
The King pledged his whole life as service as the new sovereign just as the Queen did, saying: “That promise of lifelong service I renew to you all today”.
And he used his speech to announce that he had created his son William the Prince of Wales, with Kate the Princess of Wales, and expressed his “love for Harry and Meghan as they continue to build their lives overseas”, a symbol of his bid for reconciliation amid past troubles with the Sussexes.
He also paid tribute to his “darling wife” Camilla – calling her “my Queen Consort”, saying he can “count on her loving help” and praising her by saying: “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.”
The King also set out his changing role, as he steps away from his considerable charity work which shaped his life as the heir to the throne.
“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,” he said.
The monarch pre-recorded the speech, which was just under 1,000 words and lasted around nine-anda-half minutes in the Blue Drawing Room of the royal residence in central London, and it was played out at 6pm on yesterday.
The King, dressed in a sombre black suit, black tie and with a black and white checked handkerchief in his breast pocket, said: “I speak to you today with feelings of profound 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 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.”
Touching tributes to the Queen – from a vase decorated with corgis to rosemary for remembrance – featured in the King’s historic address to the nation.
Charles, pictured inset far right, was sitting at an antique polished desk in Buckingham Palace’s Blue Drawing Room, one of the grand state rooms, where the Queen would sometimes film her Christmas broadcasts.
To the King’s left was a framed photograph of his late mother the Queen, smiling broadly and wearing a vivid blue coat and matching hat decorated with a red flower.
And on the right, delicate white sweet peas set with sprigs of rosemary – the herb a traditional symbol of remembrance – were placed in memory of Elizabeth II.
ly coloured floral bouquets left in tribute to his mother.
Shouts of ‘God Save the King’ went up, along with three cheers, for the new head of state, dressed in mourning black suit and tie, who smiled and waved at the mass of people.
The King had to turn to his duties as monarch despite his grief, as he prepared to hold his first audience with Prime Minister Liz Truss ahead
of delivering his televised address to a nation in mourning at 6pm last night. Details of the King’s historic Accession Council, which will be held today at 10am in St James’s Palace, were announced by Buckingham Palace. It will be televised for the first time in its history, showing the King being formally proclaimed monarch and Charles making his declaration and oath.
A Principal Proclamation will be read in public for the first time by the Garter King of Arms in the open air from the balcony overlooking Friary Court at St James’s an hour later at 11am. It will be followed by a flurry of proclamations around the country, with the second one in the City of London at the Royal Exchange at midday today, and further proclamations in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales at midday tomorrow.
The Duke of Cornwall and Cambridge travelled back to Windsor to be with his family ahead of the Accession Council, which William will attend.
Charles and Camilla made the poignant journey from Balmoral, where the Queen died peacefully on Thursday at the age of 96, arriving at RAF Northolt in west London at around 1.35pm.
Tributes continue to be paid to the woman described by the Prime Minister as the “rock on which modern Britain was built”, with the Dalai Lama expressing his “deep sadness” over the death of the Queen in a letter to the King.
He told Charles: “Your mother lived a meaningful life with dignity, grace, a strong sense of service and a warm heart, qualities we all should treasure.”
Thousands of people flocked to the Queen’s former homes of Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle and Balmoral to pay their respects, leaving hundreds of bouquets, personal notes and candles in her honour.
Charles has already turned his hand to his duties. He gave the order that a period of “Royal Mourning” for the Queen will be observed from now until seven days after her funeral.
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.
Royal salutes were fired with one round for every year of the Queen’s life yesterday at 1pm in Hyde Park by the King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery. Thousands stood in silence for 16 minutes as the cannons boomed once every 10 seconds.
The PM and senior ministers attended a public service of remembrance at St Paul’s Cathedral yesterday evening in central London.