Bells tolled across Britain on Friday and mourners flocked to palace gates to honor Queen Elizabeth II as the country prepared for a new age under a new king. Around the world, her exceptional reign was commemorated, celebrated and debated.
King Charles III, who spent much of his 73 years preparing for the role, planned to meet with the prime minister and address a nation grieving the only British monarch most people alive today had ever known. He takes the throne in an era of uncertainty for both his country and the monarchy itself.
As the country began a 10-day mourning period, people around the globe gathered at British embassies to pay homage to the queen, who died Thursday at Balmoral Castle in Scotland.
Finance worker Giles Cudmore said the queen had “just been a constant through everything, everything good and bad.”
At Holyrood Palace in Edinburgh, mourner April Hamilton stood with her young daughter, struggling to hold back tears.
“It’s just such a momentous change that is going to happen,” she said. “I’m trying to hold it together today.”
Everyday politics was put on hold, with lawmakers paying tribute to the monarch in Parliament over two days, beginning with a special session where Truss called the queen “the nation’s greatest diplomat.” Senior lawmakers will also take an oath to King Charles III.
King Charles III is now head of state in 14 countries outside the UK — a legacy of British colonization.
But some have indicated plans to cut those ties:
In Jamaica, officials have said they plan to become a republic and seek $10 billion in reparations for the slave trade.
It might be a glimpse of his future style as monarch. On visits Charles has become a rather affable, grandfatherly figure, putting up with a huge amount of small talk, and deploying plenty of self-deprecating humour.
He has always had a rather serious side to his character, with a natural sense of reserve, but he seems to have become a warmer figure, mellowing into his autumn years.
The King’s arrival back in London heralds the beginning of some tough days ahead. He’s lost his mother, but at the same is being pushed to face the public, in person and on TV.
He’s in mourning, with all the vulnerabilities that come with that, but at the same time is appearing for the first time in one of the highest profile jobs in the world.
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