King Charles III named Canada’s head of state – King Charles III has been officially announced as Canada’s monarch Saturday in a ceremony in Ottawa.
Charles automatically became king when Queen Elizabeth II died on Thursday. But like the ceremony in the United Kingdom hours earlier, the accession ceremony Saturday in Canada is a key constitutional and ceremonial step in introducing the new monarch to the country.
Charles is now is the head of state in Canada, a member of the British Commonwealth of former colonies.
Though Canadians are somewhat indifferent to the monarchy, many had great affection for the late Queen Elizabeth II, whose silhouette marks their coins.
Overall, the antiroyal movement in Canada is minuscule, meaning that Charles will almost certainly remain king of Canada. One reason is that abolishing the monarchy would mean changing the constitution. That’s an inherently risky undertaking, given how delicately it is engineered to unite a nation of 37 million that embraces English-speakers, French-speakers, Indigenous tribes and a constant flow of new immigrants.
KEY DEVELOPMENTS:
- King Charles III is officially proclaimed monarch in London
- What will happen to all the currencies that feature the queen?
- Live Updates: Prime Minister Liz Truss, other lawmakers vow loyalty to king
- Explainer: The formal rules around Charles’ accession
- Mourners in the street: Sincere grief flows out across Britain
- Will Charles be loved by his subjects, like his mother was?
- A constant in my life’: World mourns Queen Elizabeth II
- Camilla becomes Queen Consort after a long, twisting road
- Find more AP coverage here: https://apnews.com/hub/queen-elizabeth-ii
OTHER DEVELOPMENTS:
BALMORAL CASTLE, Scotland — Members of the royal family have stopped to take in a sea of floral tributes left by the public outside the gates of Balmoral Castle in Scotland after attending a prayer service nearby.
Queen Elizabeth II’s three youngest children — Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward — as well as their families greeted a crowd of people who gathered Saturday to line the route outside the castle.
Princess Eugenie, Andrew’s daughter, was seen laying a bunch of flowers, while the rest of the family took time to read the many tributes to the queen.
The tribute came two days after the death of Queen Elizabeth II and the same day that her eldest son King Charles III was officially proclaimed Britain’s monarch.
LONDON — Prime Minister Liz Truss and senior members of her government have taken oaths of loyalty to King Charles III in the House of Commons.
House of Commons Speaker Lindsay Hoyle was the first to pledge he will “bear true allegiance to his Majesty King Charles, his heirs and successors,” followed by the longest-serving lawmakers and the prime minister.
All lawmakers pledge allegiance to the monarch after they are elected. Making a new vow when the monarch changes is not a legal requirement, but all 650 lawmakers will have a chance to retake the oath in the coming days if they wish.
Normal parliamentary business has been suspended during a period of mourning for the queen. The House of Commons is holding a rare Saturday session so that lawmakers can pay tribute to the late monarch.
A royal official has publicly proclaimed King Charles III as Britain’s new monarch during a ceremony at St. James’s Palace.
David White, the Garter King of Arms, read the proclamation from a balcony at the London royal residence flanked by trumpeters in gold-trimmed robes.
Gun salutes rang out in Hyde Park, at the Tower of London and at military sites around the U.K. as the proclamation was made.
Scarlet-robed soldiers in the palace courtyard presented arms and doffed their bearskin hats in a royal salute.
LONDON — King Charles III has declared that the day of his mother’s funeral will be a public holiday.
Charles approved the decision during his formal accession ceremony on Saturday.
The date of Queen Elizabeth II’s state funeral has not been announced but is expected to be around Sept, 19.
This will be the second extra public holiday for Britons this year — a holiday was declared in early June for celebrations to mark Elizabeth’s platinum jubilee, for 70 years on the throne.
LONDON — King Charles III has been officially announced as Britain’s monarch Saturday, in a ceremony steeped in ancient tradition and political symbolism — and, for the first time, broadcast live.
Charles automatically became king when his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, died on Thursday, but Saturday’s accession ceremony is a key constitutional and ceremonial step in introducing the new monarch to the country.
The ceremony at St. James’s Palace, a royal residence in London, is attended by the Accession Council, made up of senior politicians and officials who advise the monarch. They met without Charles, officially confirming his title, King Charles III. The king will then join them to make a series of oaths and declarations.
It’s the first time the ceremony has been held since 1952 when Queen Elizabeth II took the throne.
