King Charles III to be Formally Proclaimed at St James Palace

From Ogundele Olanrewaju

Charles is proclaimed King at the Accession Council in the state apartments of St James’s Palace. This will be attended by his son William, whose new title is the Prince of Wales.

Others in attendance at the ceremony, which will be televised for the first time, will include privy councillors and government ministers and possibly former ministers, prime ministers and senior clergy.

Afterwards, the King will hold his first privy council – the UK’s oldest working legislative assembly – accompanied by Camilla and William and will make his personal declaration about the Queen’s death and take an oath to preserve the Church of Scotland.

Charles is proclaimed sovereign. The Principal Proclamation is read from the balcony at St James’s Palace overlooking Friary Court. The ceremony is usually accompanied by a fanfare from the balcony and simultaneous gun salutes at Hyde Park and the Tower of London.

A second proclamation will be made at the Royal Exchange in the City of London (further proclamations will be made on Sunday in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales).

Senior MPs expected to swear an oath of allegiance to the new King, with condolences continuing in parliament until 10pm. All MPs will have the opportunity to take the oath when parliament returns after the 10 days of national mourning, but it is not a formal requirement.