King Charles III leads Britain in mourning after queen’s dying

LONDON — Weapons fired, bells tolled and mourning crowds greeted King Charles III as he led Britain into an unsure new period Friday.

The nation entered a prolonged interval of nationwide mourning after Queen Elizabeth II’s dying, confronting life with out its figurehead of 70 years whereas already troubled by financial disaster and its newest bout of political upheaval.

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The longest-serving inheritor to the throne, Charles returned to Buckingham Palace in London shortly after 2 p.m. native time (9 a.m. ET), to imagine his birthright on the age of 73. He traveled from Balmoral, the Scottish fortress the place the royal household rushed to be by the queen’s aspect in her closing moments.

The brand new monarch was greeted by cheers and cries of “God save the King!” from a ready crowd as he returned to the palace. He shook arms and took time to look at a number of the many floral tributes left in honor of his mom.

Charles will tackle the nation for the primary time as king in a televised speech later within the day.

Mourners had been gathering outdoors the palace to put flowers and to witness historical past since early morning as a well-rehearsed plan for the way the nation will bid farewell to at least one monarch and welcome one other swung into motion. With typical order and correctness, Buckingham Palace issued detailed recommendation Friday morning.

Julie Masters, 57, from Sussex in southern England, says she was the primary individual to shake the hand of the brand new king. She had been ready with tons of of others, pressed up towards the police limitations.

“It’s probably not sunken in,” she mentioned.

“He mentioned ‘Thanks for coming,’” she added.

Margaret Walker, from Wokingham, 40 miles west of London, is 95 years previous, only one 12 months youthful than the queen. She mentioned: “Charles and Camilla shook my hand and I shan’t wash them once more!”

Gun salutes at close by Hyde Park and at the Tower of London fired 96 rounds — one for every year of Elizabeth’s life. Flags on official buildings are flying at half-staff. The bells at St Paul’s Cathedral and Westminster Abbey rang out at midday (7 a.m. ET), echoed by church bells throughout the nation.

The queen’s dying Thursday on the age of 96, shortly after medical doctors positioned her underneath medical supervision, got here as little shock given her age and up to date well being points. However with the nation going through unprecedented financial hardship resulting from spiraling power prices and inflation, her absence could also be felt much more keenly as Britain confronts a disaster with out her for the primary time in seven many years.

As French President Emmanuel Macron put it in one of many dozens of tributes from world leaders, she represented “by means of the fluctuations and turmoil of politics, a permanence with the scent of eternity.”