Charles III
will be proclaimed the king of the United Kingdom following a historic ceremony
at St James’s Palace on Saturday morning. This will be the first televised
ascension in British history. The proclamation comes a day after Charles III
expressed his “profound sorrow” at the loss of his mother, praising her warmth,
humour and “unerring ability to always see the best in people.”

Charles
became king of the United Kingdom immediately after Queen Elizabeth’s death,
but the official proclamation happens Saturday after the convening of the Accession
Council as soon as possible after death of a sovereign to make a formal
proclamation of the next monarch.

Convening
of the Accession Council

The
Accession Council convenes at 10:00 in the morning local time. When the Council
convenes, the King will make a personal declaration about the death of the
Queen and make an oath to preserve the Church of Scotland. The Queen Consort, Camilla,
and the King’s son William will be present.

The King’s
first proclamation will come from Friar Colony balcony of St James’s Palace in
London at 11:00. The words, “the Queen is dead, long live the King,” will be
uttered, while they are not part of the formal declaration.

Historical
role of the Accession Council

The
Accession Council is attended by members of the Privy Council. There are 700
members in the Privy Council, including past and present politicians, of which
200 are to be summoned. The members congregate at St James’s Palace without the
King.

What
happens at the Accession Council today

Conservative
MP Penny Mordaunt, appointed Lord President of the Privy Council by Prime
Minister Liz Truss, will announce the death of the Queen. The Council clerk
reads aloud the text of the Accession Proclamation, including Charles’ chosen
title as king – King Charles III. This proclamation is signed by a group of
people, including the Queen Consort, the Prince of Wales, the Archbishop of Canterbury,
the Lord Chancellor, the Archbishop of York and the prime minister.