An exhausting day for Britain’s new King

Today has been an extraordinary test of endurance for Britain’s 73 year-old incoming king, who addressed Parliament in London for the first time, before heading to Scotland to commence his jam-packed tour of all four nations that make up the UK. 

This morning, Charles III was greeted by a sombre sea of black – comprised of 900 MPs and peers – at Westminster Hall, the oldest existing part of the Palace of Westminster, where the Queen’s coffin will soon lie in state for public viewing. 

Speaking to both Houses of Parliament, he vowed to follow his late mother’s “selfless duty” before praising Parliament as the “living and breathing instrument of our democracy”. 

Sir Lindsay Hoyle, House of Commons speaker, offered condolences on behalf of MPs, declaring: ”As deep as our grief is, we know yours is deeper”. 

With no time to waste, the King and the Queen Consort, then headed straight to Edinburgh. They made their way to the Palace of Holyroodhouse – where the Queen’s coffin has been lying in rest since Sunday – to attend the Ceremony of Keys. During this short ceremony, Charles was presented with the symbolic keys of the city of Edinburgh.

As soon as the ceremony ended, King Charles and his three siblings walked behind a slow-moving hearse, carrying their mother’s coffin, from the palace to St Giles’ Cathedral, while the 21-gun salute fired from Edinburgh castle.

Thousands of members of the public, some dressed in funeral attire, packed the narrow streets to watch the procession along the Royal Mile and pay their respects. 

Many had waited for hours to catch a glimpse of the Queen’s coffin, draped with the Royal Standard in Scotland and dressed with a wreath of flowers, including white heather from Balmoral. Once it reached the cathedral, the Crown of Scotland was placed on top. 

At mid-afternoon, a service was held at St Giles’ Kirk to celebrate the life of the Queen, “whose love for Scotland was,” in the words of St Giles’ minister, Reverend MacLeod, “legendary.”

Those attending sung the Lord’s My Shepherd – a hymn featuring at the Queen’s wedding to Prince Philip – and a first lesson was read by the First Minister of Scotland, Nicola Sturgeon. 

Aside from the Royal Family, attendees included Liz Truss, council officials, members of the armed forces and representatives from various Scottish charities that the Queen was a patron of.

After the service, the King and Queen consort swiftly made their way to Scottish Parliament where where members delivered a motion of condolence. 

This evening, King Charles will hold a vigil with other members of the Royal Family at the Cathedral, in honour of his late mother.

The Coffin will remain at St Giles’ for the next 24 hours  – where mourners are already queuing up to to pay their respects – before being flown to London. 

The Queen will then lie in state for four days in Westminster Hall, until her state funeral at Westminster Abbey on Monday.  During this period, Westminster Hall will remain open 24 hours a day, guarded by soldiers from units that serve the Royal Household. Over 750,000 mourners are anticipated to file past the coffin, with many expected to have to queue overnight. 

As for King Charles and Camilla, they will continue their four nations tour tomorrow, heading to Belfast to meet party and religious leaders, and attend a prayer service at St Anne’s Cathedral. 

Then it will be a swift return back to London, just in time to meet the Queen’s coffin, expected to arrive at 7pm. It may be a time of mourning, but it seems there is no rest for Britain’s new King. 

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