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King Charles III and the Queen Consort have arrived at Buckingham Palace to be greeted by cheering crowds.
The King and Queen Consort got out of their car and walked along the crowds of people gathered outside the palace, waving, shaking hands, and speaking to people, before admiring flowers left for the Queen, lining the gates and railings at Buckingham Palace. They then walked through the gates and in to the palace.
Now that the King is in residence at Buckingham Palace, the Royal Standard has been raised, replacing the Union Flag that was being flown at half-mast.
Whilst he became King upon the death of his mother, he will be officially proclaimed King on Saturday at St James’s Palace in London.
The first decision the new king had to make was to decide his regnal name. He could have chosen from any of his four names – Charles Philip Arthur George. He will be known as King Charles III.
Charles will hold an audience with the prime minister at Buckingham Palace and is due to make his first televised address to the nation as King later today, though no time has been announced as to when this will happen.
In a statement, Buckingham Palace said, “Following the death of Her Majesty The Queen, it is His Majesty The King’s wish that a period of Royal Mourning be observed from now until seven days after The Queen’s Funeral.” The government is expected to confirm a period of national mourning at some stage today.
Today, Parliament will gather at midday to pay respect to the Queen while at the same time, bells will ring in tribute to the Queen at Westminster Abbey, St Paul’s Cathedral, Windsor Castle, and at churches throughout the UK, including Wirral.
Gun salutes of 96 rounds will take place in Hyde Park and elsewhere at 1pm. The prime minister and other senior ministers will attend a remembrance service at St Paul’s Cathedral.
Many local schools have paid tribute to Charles’ mother. Woodchurch C of E Primary School said, “Today we will pay tribute to Queen Elizabeth II during a special assembly to mark her passing. We will take time to reflect on her devoted service to us all and thank God for her life and all she did for us.”
Birkenhead Sixth Form College issued a statement saying, “Staff and students at Birkenhead Sixth Form College are deeply saddened by the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, a remarkable and inspirational leader throughout her reign.”
The Head of St John Plessington Catholic College in Bebington said, “The SJP community joins the nation in paying its respects to Queen Elizabeth. 70 years of dedicated, dignified public service. May she rest in peace.”
Many local sporting fixtures have been postponed, including today’s home match at Prenton Park, between Tranmere and Stockport. Some Sunday league and other local football games have been postponed whilst other local leagues are waiting for guidance from the FA. No Premier League or English Football League matches will take place this weekend as a mark of respect following the Queen’s death. This includes Monday night’s game between Leeds and Nottingham Forest.
Charles was born in Buckingham Palace, the first child of his mother and Philip, Duke of Edinburgh; he was the first grandchild of King George VI and his consort, Queen Elizabeth.
He was educated at Cheam and Gordonstoun schools, both of which his father attended as a child. He later spent a year at the Timbertop campus of Geelong Grammar School in Victoria, Australia. After earning a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Cambridge, Charles served in the Royal Air Force and Royal Navy from 1971 to 1976.
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