What happens day after Queen’s death now Charles is King?
The new King will make a televised address to the nation today
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Your support makes all the difference.Queen Elizabeth II will lie in state in Edinburgh and Westminster as part of 10 days of national mourning beginning today.
Union flags will be lowered and flown at half-mast on royal residences, government buildings and military establishments as the country grieve for its long-reigning Queen.
The Royal family confirmed today that they would observe a period of mourning for seven days after Queen’s funeral, the date for which is yet to be set.
As the monarch died in Scotland, her body will lie first lie in state at St Giles’ cathedral in Edinburgh for 24 hours to allow close family to pay their respects.
King Charles III and his wife Camilla, the Queen Consort, will return to London today, having spent Thursday night with immediate family at Balmoral, where the Queen died. Other members of the Royal family are expected to remain at Balmoral, although Prince Harry was seen leaving this morning
When he arrives in London, the King will meet with prime minister Liz Truss as the official monarch.
Charles III will then meet the Earl Marshal – the Duke of Norfolk – who is in charge of the accession and the Queen’s funeral, to approve the carefully choreographed schedule for the coming days.
The King will make a televised address to the nation, which he is due to pre-record. He will pay tribute to the Queen and pledge his duty to his service as the new sovereign.
His Majesty will make decisions regarding how long the period of national mourning will be, although it is expected to last for 12 to 13 days.
The day of the funeral will be announced as a public holiday in the form of a day of National Mourning.
Usual parliament activity will be suspended from Westminster to Holyrood as a mark of respect to the Queen.
MPs will get the chance to give their own tributes to the Queen in the Commons from noon on Friday, before a further unusual session from 2pm on Saturday.
Bells will toll at Westminster Abbey, St Paul’s Cathedral and Windsor Castle, and gun salutes – one round for every year of the Queen’s life – will be fired in Hyde Park and at other stations.
Union flags on royal buildings will fly at half-mast.
The Royal Standard never flies half-mast. It represents the Sovereign and the United Kingdom and is a symbol of the continuation of the monarchy.
If the new King is in residence at a royal palace or castle, the Royal Standard will fly there full-mast, as is the tradition.
The Union flag does not fly there at the same time.
The Union flag will also be flying half-mast over the Houses of Parliament. The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport is in charge of arrangements for lowering flags on government buildings.
Floodlighting at royal residences will be turned off, and the public will begin to leave flowers as tributes from around the world pour in.
The prime minister and senior ministers will attend a public service of remembrance at St Paul’s in central London, with the event planned to appear as if impromptu.
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