On a surprise walkabout with his father King Charles III this afternoon, the Prince of Wales thanked the mourners who waited in line for 14 hours to view the Queen’s casket lying-in-state at the Palace of Westminster.
In London, hundreds of people gathered along the South Bank at Lambeth Bridge earlier today to welcome Prince William and Britain’s new king, amid cries of “hip hip hooray” and “God Save the King” as they walked by.
In an effort to speak with the King and the heir to the throne as they shook hands with those closest to them, many people snapped pictures and pushed up to the metal barricades.
William subsequently tweeted, “It mean an awful lot that you’re all here,” in appreciation for the 14-hour line of people who had waited to pay their respects to his grandma.
As Charles shook her hand, one woman expressed her sorrow, another said, “I can’t believe this,” and a third gave the two royals a Paddington Bear plush in honour of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee drawing featuring the iconic children’s mascot.
It means an awful lot that you’re here, the prince added as he shook hands with the grieving. The Queen would never accept this as true. You’ll meet people in the crowd that you’ll consider friends for life. William also added that he grew upset seeing his grandmother’s corgis, adding: “They are being cared after – they have gone to a very wonderful home.” William also said that his wife Kate Middleton and children George, Charlotte, and Louis were “fine” and “all united in mourning.”
After meeting the Prince of Wales, several people started crying, and one lady told him, “You’ll be a magnificent king one day.”
The royals had already visited Sadiq Khan, the mayor of London, Suella Braverman, the home secretary, and Sir Mark Rowley, the commissioner of the London Metropolitan Police, at Scotland Yard’s special operations.
The King spoke with police officers on his visit to Lambeth today, thanking them for their planning and execution of policing in the days before his mother’s burial. He also spoke with representatives from the London Ambulance Service, London Fire Brigade, Transport for London, and the Army.
After previous visits to Scotland and Northern Ireland, the King finished his tour of the home countries yesterday with a stop in Wales.
The funeral will take place in two days, and 2,000 VIPs are expected to attend, including world leaders Joe Biden, Emmanuel Macron, and Jacinda Ardern, as well as royals like the Japanese Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako, Belgian King Philippe and Queen Mathilde, Spanish King Felipe and Queen Letizia, Swedish King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia, and Dutch King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima.
It comes after the King and his brothers gave a touching memorial for their cherished mother last night in Westminster Hall.
He said, laughing, “You’re used to working long hours at the NHS. There are several dining options, bathrooms, and other amenities. “The Queen has served us for 70 years.” She has served for thirty years, as have I. I’ve been to three of her jubilees and would want to say goodbye.
He said, “I got off at Waterloo and followed the route backward, at one point being taken here to Southwark Park. Then it confidently said, “By midnight tonight, I hope to have seen the Queen. 14 hours have passed since you arrived here.”
Paula Priest, 53, of Wolverhampton, said that she was prepared to wait as long it needed for her to go to Westminster Hall. “Without a question, we’re in it for the long haul now.”
Those that continued on their trek despite official warnings were pleasantly surprised by how quickly the line moved. Later on Saturday morning, the tracker stopped urging mourners not to leave, and the wait time had decreased to barely 16 hours.
Southwark Park was humming with activity right up to the Thames walk along Bermondsey Wall East, when the line became more motionless.
Bright pink wristbands are still being handed out, but they make quite clear that entrance to Westminster Hall is not assured. According to individuals who were waiting, the event was well-planned, and there were helpful staff members and police officers there.
Sir Mark Rowley, the new Metropolitan Police Commissioner, was manning the line this morning for the Queen’s lying in state at Lambeth Palace in south London. After greeting mourners who had waited in line for hours throughout the night and early morning, some of whom were wearing blankets, he walked from the east in the direction of Lambeth Bridge.
In his Scout uniform and Platinum Jubilee badge, 11-year-old Lancashire youngster Alfie queued up for the lying in state.
Alfie’s grandmother, Karen Todd, said that he sincerely wanted to honour the Queen and that he wanted to do so by wearing his Scout outfit.
The speaker said, “We come because it’s a historic occasion. They will remember this for the rest of their lives, therefore we only have this one opportunity.
The family left their home on Friday at 11.45 p.m. Ms. Todd said she “had to sleep in a car park for an hour and a half” before getting on a bus to go to the line.
Looking at the wait tracker, Ms. Todd said, “We were going to come this evening, but we came earlier since we didn’t want to miss it.” It was fine, she said. clear roads It’s well-organized. I just hope that my legs and feet stay in good shape.
The family brought plenty of snacks and warm underwear for the waiting time.
Sachet Pariyar and his father, who had served in the Queen’s Gurkha regiment, had travelled from Basingstoke to see the lying in state.
He added, “My dad served earlier in the British Army, as did my grandparents, and the Queen’s Gurkha regiment. We thus wanted to go and pay our respects since we felt a connection to the Queen.
He said that he had been watching the queue’s live tracker and had discovered that it may take 24 hours, adding that he had been “a bit concerned” about the wait but “thought if we can get the wristband, then we would give it a shot.”
Linda Partridge, 71, and Simon Hopkins, 59, travelled from the West Midlands to witness the lying in state despite being informed that the route was blocked because they had “the yearning to come down.”
Ms. Partridge, who had left her residence at 3 am despite the fact that they thought it was closed, said: “I had the want to come down.” It’s acceptable if they walked away after we arrived. I would have felt obligated to come if I had been told I couldn’t leave.
However, Mr. Hopkins said, “There was a sense that it may be best to make the trip and just check things out, and you know, if it ended in disappointment, then so be it.” There was a notion that it could be preferable to remain at home.
It struck him as “a bit unusual” and “sort of goes against my grain” that he likened the experience to a “pilgrimage,” which he labelled as such. I feel as if I have been drawn into it.
You’re accustomed to working long hours at the NHS, he added, chuckling. “There are plenty of places to eat, restrooms, and stuff.” “For 70 years, the Queen has served us.” She and I have both served for thirty years. I’ve attended three of her jubilees and want to say farewell.
“I got off at Waterloo, followed the line backward, and at one time I was led here to Southwark Park,” he said. Then it assuredly said, “I’m expecting by midnight tonight I’ll have seen the Queen. It’s 14 hours from the entrance here.”
Paula Priest, 53, of Wolverhampton, said that she was willing to wait till she arrived at Westminster Hall for whatever long it took. “We’re here for the long haul now, without a doubt.”
Those that persisted with the journey in spite of government advisories were pleasantly pleased by the queue’s speed. The tracker ceased advising mourners not to go later on Saturday morning, and the wait time was now just 16 hours.
Up to the Thames path along Bermondsey Wall East, when the line became more stationary, Southwark Park was bustling with activity.
Wristbands in bright pink are still being distributed, but they clearly say that access to Westminster Hall is not guaranteed. The encounter was well-organized, according to those who were waiting, and helpful employees and cops were there.
The line for the Queen’s laying in state at Lambeth Palace in south London was being patrolled this morning by Sir Mark Rowley, the new Metropolitan Police Commissioner. He welcomed mourners, some of whom were wearing blankets after spending hours in line during the night and early morning, and then moved from the east in the direction of Lambeth Bridge.
Alfie, an 11-year-old boy from Lancashire, lined up for the laying in state while wearing his Scout uniform and Platinum Jubilee badge.
Alfie genuinely wanted to honour the Queen, and he wanted to come in his Scout uniform to do it, according to his grandma, Karen Todd.
“We came because it’s a historic event,” the speaker said. We just have this one chance because they will remember this for the rest of their life.
On Friday at 11.45 p.m., the family left their house, and Ms. Todd said she “had to sleep in a car park for an hour and a half” before boarding a bus to travel to the line.
We were going to come this evening, but we arrived earlier since we didn’t want to miss it, Ms. Todd stated after looking at the wait tracker. She said, “It’s been fine.” open roads It’s organised nicely. I only hope my feet and legs remain healthy.
For the waiting period, the family packed thermals and a tonne of munchies.
To attend the laying in state, Sachet Pariyar and his father, who had served in the Queen’s Gurkha regiment, had travelled from Basingstoke.
“My dad served in the British Army earlier, as did my grandparents, and the Queen’s Gurkha regiment,” he remarked. Therefore, we felt a connection to the Queen and wanted to visit and pay our respects.
He said, “I was a little scared” about the wait, but “thought if we can obtain the wristband, then we would give it a go,” adding that he had been following the queue’s live tracker and had noticed that it may take 24 hours.
Despite being told that the line was closed, Linda Partridge, 71, and Simon Hopkins, 59, travelled from the West Midlands to attend the laying in state because they had “that desire to come down.”
Even though they indicated it was closed, Ms. Partridge, who had left her house at 3am, said: “I felt that desire to come down.” If they turned away after we arrived, that’s okay. If I had been informed I couldn’t leave, I would have just felt compelled to come.
There was a feeling that it may be better to stay home, but Mr. Hopkins continued: “There was a sense that it might be best to make the trip and just check things out, and you know, if it ended in disappointment, then so be it.”
He compared the experience to a “pilgrimage,” which he described as “a little odd” since it “kind of goes against my grain.” I feel like I’ve been dragged into it.
James Birchall, a 33-year-old student physiotherapist from Liverpool who had come to pay his respects, was also in line.
As he approached the Queen’s coffin, he said: “Right now, I just feel normal and unemotional, but as I get closer and closer (to it), I think I’ll start to become more emotional, and maybe five minutes before I go in, I’ll probably start crying, even though I don’t look like the type of person who would do that.” I had the utmost regard for the Queen; I thought she was wonderful and had been in power my whole life. She was fantastic for our nation and up to her passing, she did everything properly.
“When mom passed away, I was overtaken with grief and decided I had to go to London to see it.”
‘I’m completely shocked because there are so many people, young and old,’ he said, “I didn’t think young people would come, necessarily, since they are not really in touch with royalty, but there’s so many young people here to pay their respects which I think is wonderful.”
Vlasta Picker, 73, of Bedford, who was also in line, said: “I came here in 1977 on the Silver Jubilee. Monarchy was considered to be history while I was growing up in central Europe.
As Beckham waited at the front of the queue, pictures posted on Twitter showed a large number of people attempting to take his photo.
The Leeds-based Twitter user Jules Birkby wrote: “The Queue is now full of people attempting to picture David Beckham and failing to actually go ahead.” He added that Beckham was “only a few lines behind us in the snake.” It’s insane! Although I have some sympathy for him, he is handling it extremely well. However, it has nearly helped me forget that we have been in The Queue for for TWELVE HOURS.
He was talking joyfully to others around him about the times he met the Queen, a fellow mourner recalled. Given how well-known he is, I believe we were all surprised to see him here. He was attempting to blend in, as shown by the fact that his cap was pulled down.
I didn’t immediately recognise him, but he was a kind guy and eager to chat. He had obviously been in line for some time, maybe since the wee hours like me. He thought that he should stand in line with the rest of us rather than utilise the VIP line, which moves significantly more quickly, since he was clearly eager to pay his respects to the Queen.
One lady tweeted: “My friend’s mom claims he joined the queue at approximately 2am,” in response to others who questioned if Beckham had genuinely been waiting in line. He has purchased doughnuts for those who are around him! They’re on a ledge.
“Compared to that, 15 or even 20 hours or whatever long it takes to say thank you and give my respects doesn’t seem so horrible.”
Karen Hare, 59, of Upminster, Essex, said: “We’ve been making fun of the fact that we’re waiting in line to wait in line.” As if it weren’t lengthy enough already. I was going to leave the home at three in the morning, but my spouse persuaded me out of it, only to change his mind at nine.
We would already be at the front of the line if it weren’t for him. Even if it’s not ideal, countless numbers of individuals want to show their appreciation. For many individuals, the Queen represents what it means to have family.
I felt compelled to come down today because I wanted to express my gratitude to her for all the wonderful things she achieved for the nation. We won’t have this chance again, and I knew that if I didn’t come, I would have regretted it for the rest of my life.
Mourners praised Westminster Hall’s “breathtaking” tranquilly and said that amid the stillness, “you could hear a pin drop.”
However, security scum had a great day taking hand sanitizer and boiled candies from elderly mourners waiting in line.
Hi-vis stewards who strictly enforced what could and could not be carried into Westminster Hall were criticised for being too strict. Mourners also spoke of young individuals boldly pushing their way to the rear of the line to fill the gaps delayed older persons left in the line.
As visitors enter the Palace of Westminster, authorities have implemented airport-style security. One mourner reported being compelled to surrender one Werther’s Original, lipstick, and hand sanitizer, while others reported having goods taken away.
Terrence Houlahan, 56, waited in the holding line after travelling 40 miles north from his home in Bishop’s Stortford, Hertfordshire, to the park in Bermondsey on his Penny Farthing bicycle.
It took me three hours to get here, said Mr. Houlahan, who is originally from New York but has resided in the UK for 20 years. In actuality, it took a bit longer since I first walked to London Bridge believing the line began there by mistake.
I rode all this way simply to push my Penny Farthing through a queue of people for 15 to 20 hours before riding back for another three hours in the dark. I know it seems insane, but I wanted to be here to honour the Queen and to express my support for Charles III, the next monarch. In his new position, Charles must be bursting within since he has to put on a public performance. The majority of us can mourn in silence. Both to honour the Queen and to express sympathy with him, we are doing this.
Before entering Westminster Hall, Mr. Houlahan said he would leave his Penny Farthing outside. Since so few people are familiar with riding it, he said that he didn’t need to chain it up or do anything else.
I think it’s also a nice piece of training while taking in a pretty significant, historic occasion since I race these bikes, too. Something far greater than me or any one person,
Moses Martinez, on the other hand, arrived at London Heathrow Airport this morning just to join the line of mourners after flying in from Nicaragua.
The 32-year-old spent close to £2,000 on travel expenses, including flights and a hotel in London, after learning of the Queen’s passing.
Nicaragua’s capital, Managua, is home to Mr. Martinez, who stated: “I had to be here in London.” I’ve never visited the UK or this place before.
But when I learned that the Queen had passed away and saw the long lines of British citizens waiting to see her lay in state, I realised it was time for me to go.
I arrived this morning at 7am after a 12-hour journey, left my things at the hotel, and walked right up to this line. I’m aware that I could have to wait in line for up to 20 hours, but I don’t care since I don’t need to sleep—I just want to pay my respects.
Since I was a little lad, she has meant a lot to me. She represented Great Britain. Even though I spent a lot of money and had to travel far, I believe it was all worthwhile. The populace is kind and nice.
Since I won’t ever be able to do this again, I told myself, “It’s now or never.” It is a once in a lifetime event. I’m really happy I went on the trip.
Shannon Baird, 28, boarded a plane from Dublin simply to be in line and will fly back as soon as she has seen the Queen’s casket.
She stated: “Once I’m done, I’m returning on a flight at 9pm tomorrow.” She is an American who is from Pennsylvania but is now spending some time in Ireland. I had to participate in this historical event. Although I am aware that it will be difficult, I am ready for it. She is a well-known person.
We’ve been in this secondary line for 45 minutes, so it’s a little disappointing that we haven’t even joined the main line, said Barrie Scott, 72, of East Moseley.
But I think we’ll be done shortly. We haven’t been turned away or anything like that; it is flowing steadily and people are being let through.
“I know it will be a long, long day, but the Queen sat on the throne for 70 years, demonstrating tremendous devotion and commitment.”
Following a quiet vigil for their mother yesterday night, the King and his siblings, the Duke of York, Princess Royal, and Earl of Wessex, held one today.
The four senior royals approached the Queen’s coffin as the general people observed in perfect stillness. They were all dressed in their official royal attire. The duty officer tapped the ground three times with his staff just after 7.45 p.m. to announce the arrival of the late monarch’s four children.
As the staff was hit three more times, they stood in a line, with the King in the front and Anne, Edward, and Andrew behind him. They took their spots and walked up to the catafalque, the elevated platform that housed their mother’s coffin, solemnly.
They stood forward and faced outwards after receiving another three strokes from the staff, which resounded throughout the vast Norman hall.
The King, 73, was dressed in ceremonial Royal Navy garb, Princess Anne, 72, was dressed in the Blues and Royals costume, and the Earl of Wessex, 58, was wearing the Blues uniform with the title of Honorary Royal Colonel of the Royal Wessex Yeomanry. Four candles flickered as they made their entrance.
Andrew, a 62-year-old former Royal Navy helicopter pilot who has lost his honorary ties and is no longer a working royal, was granted special permission by Charles to dress in uniform for the vigil in remembrance of Her Majesty. On his 55th birthday, the Queen bestowed upon him the honour of wearing the uniform of a Vice-Admiral, which he selected.
The 900-year-old hall’s crowd of visitors, many of whom had been waiting in line all day, was permitted to continue inside.
Only the Queen’s four children were supposed to attend last night’s vigil, but in a rare display of family solidarity, 18 senior family members and a large number of additional kin showed up to offer their support.
They included Lady Louise and James, Edward and Sophie’s daughters Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank, the Queen Consort, the Countess of Wessex, Vice-Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, the Duke of Kent, Prince and Princess Michael of Kent, and Princess Alexandra. They also included the Viscount Severn, Peter Phillips, Zara Tindall and her husband Mike, the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, the Duke
The 15-minute vigil was in addition to the one that the Household Division and Body Guards were conducting from Wednesday at 5 p.m. until 6 a.m. on Monday, when the Queen’s formal laying in state ends. The Westminster Hall doors will then shut in order to make way for the procession to Westminster Abbey, where the State Funeral ceremony will begin at 11 a.m.
Over the course of the weekend, rehearsals are being held to make sure everything is ready for Monday’s State Funeral, which will be the grandest display of pomp, ceremony, and majesty ever witnessed. International monarchy and world leaders are flying in to pay their respects.
They will be joined by thousands of others who have reserved seats in the Westminster Abbey congregation, including hundreds of representatives of charities and members of the public who have been recognised for their civic service.
In order to accommodate more mourners, palace authorities yesterday changed the path of the Queen’s last trip from Westminster Abbey, where her burial will be held on Monday between 11 a.m. and 12 p.m., to Windsor Castle, where she will be laid to rest.
The State Gun Carriage will first carry the Queen’s coffin in an unprecedented procession across London to Wellington Arch, where it will be transferred to the State Hearse at 1pm. Later, other members of the Royal Family will take the M4 to Windsor, where St George’s Chapel will host a second ceremony.
However, mourners wishing to say their last farewells would not have been able to line the path if the former king had been driven down the highway.
Robert Hardman of the Daily Mail was one of several who suggested this week that the post-funeral path be expanded so that more Britons may bid their loved ones goodbye. The palace has now made the path public. It will leave Wellington Arch and go down South Carriage Drive around the south side of Hyde Park before turning into Queens Gate and continuing on Cromwell Road.
The cortege will go via Talgarth Road, the Great West Road, the Hammersmith Flyover, and the A4 as it passes through west London.
The hearse will turn onto the A30 Great South West Road just before Heathrow and go around the south side of the airport.
Before crossing the M25 to Windsor Road (the A308) for the last leg to Windsor through a rural section of the River Thames, it will go down London Road, still the A30, and Staines Road. The Queen’s coffin will travel 25 miles through the streets of London and into Surrey and Berkshire towns. A representative for Buckingham Palace said last night that the public was taken into consideration while planning the route to Windsor.
The discovery supports rumours that the Queen’s coffin will not travel on the M4, which would have been the fastest route, allowing many more Britons to pay their respects as her casket passes.
Mourners will be able to line up along the route more easily if they use the A-roads heading west out of London into Berkshire.
In support of a longer post-funeral path, former Tory Cabinet minister David Jones had said yesterday night: “I believe it’s extremely essential that as many people as possible get the chance to pay their final respects while in sight of the coffin.” Therefore, it seems sense that it doesn’t go all the way down the highway since people could not do it there.
The Queen’s children will follow her when she enters Wellington Arch in the carriage carrying her body after the ceremony concludes on Monday about noon.
People will be able to view the service on large screens that will be placed up in Hyde Park. The hearse will arrive in Windsor at the Long Walk around 3.15 p.m.
This week, Robert Hardman of the Mail made the argument for expanding the post-funeral path so that more Britons may bid their loved ones goodbye. On Monday, the funeral at Westminster Abbey will end about noon.
Her Majesty’s coffin will be transported on a 123-year-old gun carriage pulled by 98 members of the Royal Navy as part of a custom that dates back to Queen Victoria’s burial before being placed in the state hearse.
The Sovereign’s Guard, a group of sailors, will move the late king or queen ahead by pulling on ropes fastened to the carriage’s front wheels.
The custom of having sailors draw the carriage dates back to the day of Queen Victoria’s burial in 1901.
The horses panicked and reared up, threatening to knock the coffin off the carriage as it was being transported through the streets of Windsor.
Captain Prince Louis of Battenberg, who would go on to become the First Sea Lord of the Royal Navy, stepped in and advised the new king, Edward VII, to let the sailors take charge.
The squad of sailors was then called in to guarantee the coffin was transported securely for the remainder of the journey after the horses were untethered and homemade ropes were placed to the gun carriage, which weighs 2.5 tonnes (3,000 lb), once this was decided.
The new procedure was first codified as a custom during Edward VII’s burial, nine years later, and has since been followed at all state funerals.
The funerals of King George V in 1936, King George VI in 1952, Sir Winston Churchill in 1965, and Lord Louis Mountbatten, who was assassinated by the IRA in 1979, were all attended by the State Gun Carriage.
The Dean of Windsor will preside over the Committal Service in St. George’s Chapel, which will be attended by members of the late monarch’s family, friends, and mourners from her household both past and present, as well as her personal servants from all of her private estates.
The Grenadier Guards’ Queen’s Company Colour, the regiment’s official flag, will be hoisted above the coffin after the last song.
The Lord Chamberlain and top representative of the late Queen’s royal family, Baron Parker, will “break” his Wand of Office and lay it on the coffin.
The Sovereign’s Piper will play a lament as he slowly walks away, allowing the music to fade, and the Garter King of Arms will announce the Queen’s styles and titles as the coffin is lowered into the royal crypt.
Charles and other members of the royal family will attend a private funeral ceremony led by the Dean of Windsor in the evening.
Up to one million people are anticipated in the city for the Queen’s burial, which will cause significant portions of Central London to be blocked.
All of the streets near Buckingham Palace and the Houses of Parliament, including Whitehall, Birdcage Walk, The Mall, Constitution Hill, Northumberland Avenue, Horse Guards Avenue, Horse Guards Road, Victoria Street, Buckingham Gate, Marlborough Road, and Victoria Embankment, are expected to be closed until at least the start of next Tuesday.
Additionally, Westminster Bridge won’t reopen. Although most of the areas will remain open to walkers and cyclists, the restrictions will have an effect on public transportation, and the council warned that bicycles may be taken away.
The council also said that it will try to “minimise the effect on residents, businesses, and local communities” by limiting pedestrian access to specific locations. It continued by saying that until 8.30 am on Wednesday of the next week, resident permit holders in the three impacted zones—A, D, and G—could park in resident bays in other zones across Westminster.
Routes in Kensington and Chelsea, in West London, will be significantly impacted; the local government there has issued a warning that roads from Kensington High Street south won’t be accessible on the day of the burial.
On Monday, from 6 a.m. until later in the day when police determine it is safe for them to reopen, Queen’s Gate and Cromwell Road, along with the majority of other key routes around the borough and all the bridges, will all be closed.
The local government warned residents that Monday would see “heavy traffic” and “limited access” that will make it “extremely difficult to travel about the borough and get out of the borough.”
The Queen’s burial will be protected by a steel ring, the largest security operation in Scotland Yard’s almost 200-year history.
On Monday, the central London area and the Queen’s 23-mile path to Windsor Castle will be under the protection of at least 10,000 police officers, including 2,000 from other parts of the UK. To manage crowds and keep important sites unoccupied or secure, several highways and bridges will be closed to traffic, and 23 miles of barricades will be erected.
It was revealed yesterday that the King has allowed the Queen’s eight grandchildren permission to keep vigil tonight in Westminster Hall beside her casket. William will be in the front, while Harry will be at the rear.
According to a spokeswoman, “They will both be in uniform at the King’s request.” Princes Andrew and Harry were required to wear mourning attire since earlier in the week, authorities had said that only working members of the Royal Family would be allowed to wear military uniform.
There was tremendous outrage that Harry seemed to have been left out when it was revealed that Andrew had been granted special permission to wear a uniform last night.
According to sources, Harry did not campaign for the U-turn; rather, his father made the choice in the interests of harmony and the Queen’s honour.
In a speech to religious leaders at Buckingham Palace last night, the King outlined the kind of ruler he aspires to be, saying that he sees it as his “responsibility” to preserve the nation’s diversity, including its “religions, cultures, customs, and beliefs.”
I’ve always seen Britain as a “community of communities,” he said. This has made me realise that the Sovereign has an extra obligation that is less publicly acknowledged but that must be carried out just as rigorously.
“It is our obligation to maintain the plurality of our nation, including the space for faith itself and its practise via the faiths, cultures, traditions, and beliefs to which our hearts and minds lead us as people,” states the constitution.
Following the passing of his mother, the Queen, last week, the King spoke at a reception in the Bow Room at Buckingham Palace on how much his audience’s condolences meant to him.
As Sovereign of all communities within this nation and the Commonwealth, he said, “I also wanted to, before all of you today, to reiterate my commitment to carry out my obligations in a manner that reflects the reality in which we now live.”
According to Charles, his own Christian beliefs “have love at their very centre” and “bind” him to appreciate those who practise different religions.
As a Church of England member, he declared: “Love is at the core of my Christian beliefs.
Therefore, I am obligated to respect both people who adhere to secular values and those who pursue alternative spiritual pathways by my deepest beliefs as well as by virtue of my role as Sovereign.
“The ideologies that thrive in and contribute to our very diversified society are diverse.
They, and our society, can only flourish by a clear, shared adherence to those essential values of freedom of conscience, altruism, and concern for others, which are, in my opinion, the core of our nationhood.
As King, I am committed to upholding and advancing these ideals for all people of all faiths and throughout all communities.
Everything my dear mother accomplished for our nation throughout her reign as our Queen was based on this belief. My own work as the Prince of Wales was built on it. It will continue to serve as the cornerstone of all I do as King.
The King identified himself as a “committed Anglican Christian” who would swear an oath pertaining to the establishment of the Church of England during his coronation.
He said that during his accession ceremony, he had already “solemnly” sworn to uphold and protect the Protestant religion in Scotland.
The King exited the palace’s Bow Room, paused for a little while, waved, and walked out to soft applause.