William, until then officially Duke of Cambridge, now bears the title of Prince of Wales, which is customary for the heir to the throne. Charles had already confirmed this in his address to the British nation on Friday. William’s wife, Kate (40), becomes Princess of Wales. William’s mother, Princess Diana, who died in a car crash in 1997, had last actively worn the title.
After the proclamation there will be a coronation – the date for this is still open. Elizabeth II’s coronation took place in 1953 – 16 months after she became queen following the death of her father.
The Queen died on Thursday at her country home, Balmoral Castle, Scotland. The body is to be transferred from there on Sunday to Holyrood Palace in Edinburgh, the Queen’s residence in Scotland. The body will then be deposited in a cathedral in the Scottish capital before being transported to London.
Charles authorized an additional public holiday for the British people when proclaiming it. This could indicate that the Queen’s state funeral is due to take place on Monday, September 19. So far, September 18 has also been a possible date, but it is a Sunday. An official confirmation of the date is still pending.
For Saturday Charles III. already have a busy schedule. According to Buckingham Palace, a total of four hearings were scheduled for the afternoon. The King was to meet first with the Archbishop of Canterbury, then Prime Minister Liz Truss and ministers of her government, then representatives of the opposition and finally the Dean of Westminster. The clergyman, David Michael Hoyle, occupies a special position at the head of Westminster Abbey: the abbey has the status of “royal abbey”. The dean is not subordinate to the Archbishop of Canterbury, the spiritual head of the Church of England, but directly to the monarch.
At Buckingham Palace, the stream of mourners continued on Saturday. Thousands of people gathered early in the morning to lay flowers or cards, light candles or take a break. Despite the crowds, the atmosphere was calm and respectful, Britain’s PA news agency reported. A number of mourners also traveled from further afield.
To ensure that the property in London’s Westminster government district does not sink under a sea of flowers, all bouquets are allowed to remain in front of them for twelve hours before being taken to the adjacent Green Park. This is also indicated by a sign on the palace fence.
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