After the demise of Queen Elizabeth II, Charles III addressed the nation for the first time as king and vowed ‘lifelong service’ to the people.
“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,” King Charles said. Recalling Queen Elizabeth’s commitment, which she made in 1947, King Charles III said that it defined her whole life.“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,” he said.
“In 1947, on her 21st birthday, she pledged in a broadcast from Cape Town to the Commonwealth to devote her life, whether short or long, to the service of her people,” he added.
The king pledges to uphold her values and said that he will endeavour to serve the people with loyalty, respect and love.
“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,” King said.
“Wherever you may live in the United Kingdom or in the realms and territories across the world and whatever may be your background and beliefs I shall endeavour to serve you with loyalty, respect and love, as I have throughout my life,” he added.
King Charles III received a warm reception when he arrived at Buckingham Palace. The King was offered bouquets of flowers and even a kiss on the cheek as he shook hands with those who had gathered to see him arrive.People have been leaving flowers and tributes outside palaces and churches as the UK marks the death of Queen Elizabeth II.
The King’s plane landed at RAF Northolt in west London just after 13:30 BST, reported UK-based media.
The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral Castle on Thursday afternoon at the age of 96.
King Charles III acceded to the throne immediately following the death of Elizabeth II on Thursday. He described losing his mother as “a moment of the greatest sadness for me and all members of my family”.
During this period of mourning, he said he and his family would be “comforted and sustained by our knowledge of the respect and deep affection in which the Queen was so widely held”.
He has been preparing to be King for his entire life and has chosen to use his Christian name for his title as monarch, just like his late beloved mother, Queen Elizabeth II.
The formal process of proclaiming him King will be carried out by the Accession Council – a group made up of Privy Counsellors, Great Officers of State, the Lord Mayor of London, Realm High Commissioners and senior civil servants.