King Charles III is proclaimed to the nation as new head of state as funeral day declared Bank Holiday

The nation’s new monarch King Charles III has been formally declared head of state during a historic ceremony televised for the first time.

Charles’s role as King and the name he will use was confirmed during a meeting of the Accession Council attended by privy councillors at St James’s Palace in London.

Following tradition, the new King was missing from proceedings and did not witness senior figures from national life including the Queen, the new Prince of Wales and the Prime Minister taking part in the ceremony.

Broadcast cameras were allowed into the historic event giving the world a first glimpse of an ancient ceremony dating back centuries – and one of the first changes to convention instigated by the new King.

More than 200 privy councillors – a group of mostly senior politicians past and present, some members of the monarchy and other national figures – were present to hear the Clerk of the Council read the Accession Proclamation.

The new monarch became King the moment his mother died, but an Accession Council must be convened following the death of a sovereign – usually within 24 hours.

It has also been confirmed that the day of the Queen’s funeral will be a national bank holiday with King Charles officially approving the proclamation. The date o the funeral is still yet to be announced.

Here is the proclamation of Charles as King at the Accession Council in full:

“Whereas it has pleased almighty God to call to his mercy our late Sovereign lady Queen Elizabeth II of blessed and glorious memory, by whose decease the Crown of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is solely and rightfully come to the Prince Charles Philip Arthur George.

“We, therefore, the lords spiritual and temporal of this realm, and members of the House of Commons, together with other members of Her late Majesty’s Privy Council, and representatives of the realms and territories, aldermen, and citizens of London and others, do now hereby, with one voice and consent of tongue and heart, publish and proclaim that the Prince Charles Philip Arthur George, is now, by the death of our late Sovereign of happy memory, become our only lawful and rightful liege lord, Charles III, by the grace of God, of the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland, and of his other realms and territories, King, head of the Commonwealth, defender of the faith, to whom we do acknowledge all faith and obedience with humble affection, beseeching God, by whom kings and queens do reign, to bless His Majesty with long and happy years to reign over us.

“God save the King.”