Following the very sad death of Queen Elizabeth II on 8 September, her eldest son, Charles, took over as reigning monarch – and today, His Majesty was officially proclaimed as King Charles III by the Accession Council (the ceremonial body which assembles in St James's Palace, London, following the death of a monarch, in order to make a formal declaration that the Queen's successor is taking over the throne).
In the event attended by politicians - including six former Prime Ministers, and current PM Liz Truss - and members of the church, King Charles III's wife, Camilla, Queen Consort, and son, the Prince of Wales (William), signed a declaration, before the ceremony moved into the throne room and Charles joined them.
Broken down into two parts, the event first sees the Privy Council meet without the King and proclaim His Majesty as the Sovereign. In the second half, the King joins the group and holds the first meeting of His Majesty's Privy Council. A public reading of the Principal Proclamation is then given from the balcony overlooking Friary Court at St James's Palace.
The Proclamation is read by the Garter King of Arms, accompanied by the Earl Marshal, other Officers of Arms and the Serjeants-at-Arms.
Throughout history, this is an event that has taken place away from the glare of cameras, so it's a real first that the public have been privy to the proceedings this time around.
When the time for King Charles III's coronation comes (which may not be until next year), this too will be televised – and will mark only the second time such an occasion has been captured on film and broadcast to the masses (the first time was when Queen Elizabeth II was crowned in 1952).
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Much like is the plan for King Charles, there was a gap between Queen Elizabeth's accession to the throne and her crowning – that took place some 16 months later for Her Majesty. It is believed that Charles' coronation will a far more streamlined event than His Majesty's mother's was, reflected the Royal Family's new approach to sovereignty moving forward.
It will be a less expensive ceremony and reports say it will likely pay homage to the fact that Briton and the Commonwealth countries comprise a mix of people with various faiths. The plan sounds as though there will be efforts made to reflect the diversity of the Realm.
Our thoughts are with all of the Royal Family during this tough time.
Jennifer Savin is Cosmopolitan UK's multiple award-winning Features Editor, who was crowned Digital Journalist of the Year for her work tackling the issues most important to young women. She regularly covers breaking news, cultural trends, health, the royals and more, using her esteemed connections to access the best experts along the way. She's grilled everyone from high-profile politicians to A-list celebrities, and has sensitively interviewed hundreds of people about their real life stories. In addition to this, Jennifer is widely known for her own undercover investigations and campaign work, which includes successfully petitioning the government for change around topics like abortion rights and image-based sexual abuse. Jennifer is also a published author, documentary consultant (helping to create BBC’s Deepfake Porn: Could You Be Next?) and a patron for Y.E.S. (a youth services charity). Alongside Cosmopolitan, Jennifer has written for The Times, Women’s Health, ELLE and numerous other publications, appeared on podcasts, and spoken on (and hosted) panels for the Women of the World Festival, the University of Manchester and more. In her spare time, Jennifer is a big fan of lipstick, leopard print and over-ordering at dinner. Follow Jennifer on Instagram, X or LinkedIn.
