The UK is now under the reign of King Charles III, son of the late Queen Elizabeth II. While people mourn the death of the monarch, big changes await the country.
The so-called Operation London Bridge continues to take effect. On Friday, King Charles III. British Prime Minister Liz Truss for a first audience at Buckingham Palace. A palace spokeswoman said the meeting took place after the king’s return to London.
In the afternoon, King Charles arrived in the British capital with his wife Camilla, where they were greeted by thousands of cheering fellow countrymen. In front of Buckingham Palace, Charles shook hands with people who had gathered there. Some women also kissed him on the cheek. The royal couple had previously traveled from Balmoral, Scotland.
At 7 p.m. (German time) the new king will give his first speech to the nation. In the evening there is a memorial service at St. Paul’s Cathedral in London.
Charles will be proclaimed as the new British king on Saturday. As announced by Buckingham Palace, the ceremony is scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. (CEST) at St. James’s Palace in London. The proclamation will be read from the Castle balcony an hour later and then from other locations around the UK.
Furthermore, it is assumed that the plans for the funeral – which have of course been in place for a long time – will continue to be pushed forward. The coffin containing the Queen’s remains is currently in the ballroom of Balmoral Castle.
The UK government will also announce the length of national mourning. British media expect it to last 12 days. According to current reports, this will end on the day of the state funeral, the date of which has not yet been set. However, it is assumed that the appointment will be on Monday, September 19th.
In a speech, the prime minister assured her loyalty to the new regent: “Long live the king,” said Liz Truss in the British Parliament.
King Charles III is in office. He has already made a first decision: the mourning period for members of the royal family will last seven days after the Queen’s funeral, according to a statement.
It is expected that Charles will now quickly realize his long-announced vision of a slimmer royal family.
With the arrival of King Charles III. At Buckingham Palace in London, the national flag, which flies at half-mast, has been lowered and replaced by the royal standard. This flag represents the head of state and is always raised where the monarch is present. It is the only flag that is never flown at half-staff.
One day after the death of their queen, the grief of their compatriots is expressed as a colorful sea of flowers in front of their three residences. Whether at Buckingham Palace in London, in front of Windsor Castle or the Palace of Holyroodhouse, the official residence of the British monarchy in Scotland’s capital Edinburgh – the picture is the same everywhere: people are constantly laying flowers, standing still, embracing. Hundreds of people wait in line outside Buckingham Palace in central London to lay flowers.
The formal proclamation of Charles III. to the British King will be televised live on Saturday. This was announced by a spokesman at Charles’ previous official residence, Clarence House. The proclamation is made by members of the Privy Council, which is made up mostly of current and former members of the government, church officials, judges and other public figures. To this end, the Council last met in February 1952, when Charles’ mother was proclaimed Queen after the death of her father.
Photographer Jane Barlow took the last official photos of Queen Elizabeth II last Tuesday. The monarch was frail but in good spirits, said Barlow, who works for Britain’s PA news agency. She spoke to the Queen about the weather and the dark clouds in the sky, Barlow told the PA agency. She took a few portraits and got loads of smiles from the Queen.
The reason for the photo session was the visit of the conservative politician Liz Truss, who was formally commissioned by the Queen to form a government after Boris Johnson had vacated the post early due to numerous scandals.
The Premier League has postponed all of next weekend’s games as a mark of respect following the death of Queen Elizabeth II. With the decision, the top English football league followed the recommendations of the British government on Friday. All games in the second division were also postponed.
“In honor of their extraordinary life and contribution to the nation, and as a mark of respect, this weekend’s football matches are postponed, including Monday night’s game,” the Premier League said.
Charles III will address his subjects in a speech on Friday evening (7:00 p.m. CEST). A special session of Parliament to commemorate the late Queen will be adjourned at 6 p.m. for the televised speech, Parliament Speaker Lindsay Hoyle said.
Prime Minister Liz Truss has given the new King Charles III. assured the loyalty of the British. He, too, deserves loyalty, Truss said on Friday in Parliament in London in front of a full house of mostly black-clad MPs.
Truss said of Queen Elizabeth II, who died the day before at the age of 96: “Her Majesty was one of the greatest leaders the world has ever seen. Your words of wisdom have strengthened us in the most difficult of times. In the darkest moments of the pandemic, she has given us hope that we can meet (with others) again.”
King Charles has also done a lot for the country in his life, for example through his efforts to protect the environment. “We owe him loyalty and devotion,” she said. “The crown will live on, the nation will live on, and in that spirit I say, long live the king.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin is “not considering” the possibility of a trip to London for the Queen’s funeral, according to the Kremlin. “The option is not being considered,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said at his daily press conference in Moscow.
He also said he did not yet know whether any Russian officials would attend the funeral, as details of the ceremony were being held by the new King Charles III’s office. have not yet been communicated, Peskow said.
At exactly noon (13:00 CEST) on Friday, bells rang across the UK in memory of the late Queen Elizabeth II.
People stopped and listened to the ringing in front of Westminster Abbey and St. Paul’s Cathedral in London, at Windsor Castle, where the Queen last lived, and in Scotland, where she died on Thursday at her Balmoral country estate. Hundreds of churches agreed.
King Charles III and his wife Camilla have left the Scottish country estate of Balmoral, where Queen Elizabeth II died on Thursday. The two drove to Aberdeen Airport, from where they were to fly to London.
Charles wants to meet Prime Minister Liz Truss in London in the afternoon and will address the nation in the evening.
Prince William (40) and his wife Kate (40) have received new titles. They are now called the “Duke and Duchess of Cornwall and Cambridge,” as confirmed by Kensington Palace. William – previously the “Duke of Cambridge” – also received the title “Duke of Cornwall” as the eldest son of Charles. If William also gets the title ‘Prince of Wales’ as expected, Kate will become ‘Princess of Wales’, the British news agency PA explains. Diana last wore this title.
William’s brother Prince Harry (37) arrived at Balmoral Castle in Scotland in the evening – only after the Queen’s death was announced. Harry lives with his wife Meghan (41) in the USA, but is currently in Europe. He only visited Düsseldorf on Tuesday.
The death of the great-grandmother also has consequences for his children: According to British media reports, Archie and Lilibet can now officially use the titles Prince and Princess, or HRH (His/Her Royal Highness).
The British central bank has assured that banknotes with the likeness of Queen Elizabeth II will remain valid even after her death.
“Banknotes bearing the likeness of Her Majesty The Queen remain legal tender,” the Bank of England said on its website on Friday. More information will be available after the mourning period is over.
With the death of Queen Elizabeth II, the children of Prince Harry and his wife Meghan are now technically Prince and Princess. They are entitled to these titles as grandsons of the reigning monarch, according to the rules issued by King George V in 1917. You are also entitled to the designation “Royal Highness”. The parents decide whether they will bear the titles.
Meghan said in an interview last year that her son Archie Mountbatten-Windsor, who was born in 2019, was deliberately denied the title of prince. According to chroniclers, he was not entitled to it at the time because he was too far down the line of succession. This has changed now.
A good twelve hours after his arrival in Scotland, Prince Harry left again on Friday. In a black suit and with a bag over his shoulder, he boarded a flight from Aberdeen to London in the morning, the media reported.
Unlike other members of the royal family, Prince Harry only arrived in Britain on Thursday after the death of his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) honored Queen Elizabeth II as an outstanding personality. “Germany is also mourning the loss of the British Queen Elizabeth,” said Scholz on Friday in Berlin. The death of the British Queen moves and touches everyone.
“The Queen embodied the best of our common European heritage: democracy and the rule of law,” said Scholz. “Her sense of duty was as unshakable as it was legendary.” Scholz paid particular tribute to the Queen’s role in post-WWII reconciliation between Britain and Germany. Scholz wished her successor strength, skill and luck.
The Queen is dead and the popular British children’s book character Paddington Bear is also affected. More precisely, on the official Twitter account “@paddingtonbear”.
There it said on Thursday after the monarch’s death became known: “Thank you Ma’am, for everything”. The tweet was shared and liked thousands of times in a very short time. Other users were enthusiastic about a drawing showing the little bear hand in hand with the queen.
Just a few weeks ago, on the occasion of her throne jubilee, the Queen made a short video clip in which she drinks tea with the popular (computer-animated) film character.
Millions of British postage stamps featuring the late Queen Elizabeth II will remain valid, the national postal service Royal Mail confirmed on Friday. If and when new stamps with an image of King Charles III. will be produced is still unclear.
“We will announce future stamp issues in due course,” the Post said. “As usual, we will consult Buckingham Palace before making any further announcements.”
According to the Royal Mail, the mailboxes with the insignia of the late Queen will not be exchanged either.
Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby has stressed the importance of Queen Elizabeth II to the people of Britain. “It feels for people around the world, especially in Britain, that a part of our lives that we have taken for granted has been taken away from us,” the Church of England’s top minister said on the BBC on Friday. Interview. For many people it is not only a time of mourning, but also of uncertainty, in which they wonder what is permanent. Queen Elizabeth II died on Thursday at the age of 96 at her Scottish country estate, Balmoral Castle.
The royal family is not putting out books of condolence for mourners to sign after the death of Queen Elizabeth II, unlike in the UK in previous years. Instead, an online book of condolences has been set up on the Royal Family’s official website (www.royal.uk).
The palace did the same when the Queen’s husband, Prince Philip, died in April 2021, when no real books of condolence could be laid out due to the corona pandemic.
On the website, people from all over the world can leave messages of condolence by providing their name, email address and place of residence. “A selection of messages will be passed on to members of the royal family and may be preserved in the royal archives for posterity,” the website reads.
In deference to the Queen’s death, UK postal and rail workers have suspended their planned strikes. The Post was scheduled to continue a 48-hour walkout on Friday, but the CWU union said it was called off “out of respect” for the Queen.
The rail union RMT also said its protests planned for next week would not take place. RMT joins the nation as a whole to “pay homage” to the Queen. The transport union TSSA, for its part, also canceled strikes that were due to take place later in September. The train drivers’ union Aslef joined.
The new British King Charles III. has set the length of the mourning period for the royal family.
As the palace announced on Friday, there will be seven more days of mourning after the funeral. Until then, the flags at the royal palaces should also be flown at half-staff, with the exception of the royal standard when the king is present.
The funeral is expected to take place on Monday September 19th. However, this has not yet been confirmed by the palace.
The grandson of the famous British ex-Prime Minister Winston Churchill (1874 – 1965), Nicholas Soames, is convinced that his grandfather “loved” the Queen. “That’s the only word that can come close to describing how he felt about this young monarch,” said the former Conservative MP and friend of King Charles III. the station Times Radio on Friday.
Winston Churchill, who had already served his country as prime minister during World War II (1940-1945), was the first prime minister that Elizabeth II, who died on Thursday, saw as queen during a second term (1951-1955).
India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi recalled a pleasant encounter on the occasion of the death of Queen Elizabeth II.
At one of the meetings, she showed me the handkerchief that Mahatma Gandhi gave her for her wedding,” Modi wrote on Twitter. Gandhi campaigned for India’s independence from the former colonial empire of British India in a non-violent struggle.
“I will never forget her warmth and kindness,” Modi wrote. And: “She personified dignity and decency in public life.” His thoughts are with her family and the people of Great Britain.
The Queen was the first British monarch after India gained independence in 1947
Sir Elton John paid tribute to Queen Elizabeth II for the “inspiring presence” in his life at a concert in Toronto, Canada – and then sang one of his biggest hits for her. The pop legend suspended the show at the Rogers Center in front of tens of thousands of fans on Thursday after it was announced that the monarch had died.
“She has guided the country through some of our greatest and darkest moments with grace, grace and genuine warmth,” said John, who has close ties to Royalty and has been known as “Sir” since the Queen knighted him in 1998. Elizabeth II was also the head of state of Canada.
Glad the Queen is now “at peace”. She has served the country for a long time and worked very hard.
Norway’s Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit will not travel to Britain next week as planned following the death of Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II.
The Norwegian royal family announced on Friday that the official visit of the crown prince couple to the United Kingdom would not take place due to the death of the Queen.
Haakon and Mette-Marit (both 49) originally planned to visit the UK from Wednesday to Friday. The journey was to begin in Aberdeen, Scotland, and end in London.
Pope Francis has expressed “deeply saddened” by the death of Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II. In a telegram to the new King Charles III, which the church news portal “Vatican News” reported on Thursday evening, the Catholic Church leader praised the Queen’s “unshakeable faith”.
Her life was determined “by serving the good of the nation and the Commonwealth”. She gave “an example of duty” and testified to her firm faith in Christ.
Pop star Sting says she shed tears after the Queen’s death. “I cried quietly for the Queen, I am sad for my country and what it has lost,” Sting (70) tweeted.
Ex-Beatle Paul McCartney (80) published a photo of the young Queen on Twitter with the words: “God bless Queen Elizabeth II. May she rest in peace. Long live the king.”
Abroad, the great grief for the queen may be perceived as strange, wrote the inventor of Harry Potter’s apprentice, JK Rowling (57), on Twitter. “But millions felt affection and respect for the woman who fulfilled her constitutional role without complaint for 70 years.”
From 2023, coins with the face of King Charles III will be issued in Australia. be introduced.
This was reported by the “Guardian” on Friday, citing information from the Ministry of Finance. The portrait to be used is chosen by the British Mint, the Royal Mint.
Australian coins bearing the face of the late Queen Elizabeth II will continue to be produced temporarily and will remain valid beyond 2023. The monarch has featured on Australian coins since 1966. The Australian five-dollar bill also shows her portrait.
In response to the death of Queen Elizabeth II, there is a break in filming for the sixth season of the Netflix series “The Crown”. “I expect that we will also stop shooting out of respect,” quoted the trade journal “Deadline” as screenwriter Peter Morgan (59). In his brief statement, the Brit described the series as a “love letter to the Queen”. He has nothing to add at the moment, “just silence and respect”.
Since 2016, Netflix has been taking a behind-the-scenes look at Buckingham Palace with its award-winning series. The first two seasons depict the Queen’s early years between family scandals and political crises.
Numerous official expressions of mourning are already planned for Friday in Great Britain.
At St. Paul’s Cathedral and Westminster Abbey in London and at Windsor Castle, around 40 kilometers west of London, where Queen Elizabeth II most recently lived, the bells should ring at noon. There will then be a cannon salute in Hyde Park.
In Parliament, the late Queen is to be commemorated in both the lower and upper houses.
The day after Elizabeth II’s death is also the day King Charles III. takes the first steps of his reign. The King spent the night in Balmoral with his wife Camilla (now officially Queen Consort).
He will then travel to London this Friday, where he is to meet Prime Minister Liz Truss. According to Britain’s Guardian, he is also likely to meet the Duke of Norfolk, who is organizing the funeral, as well as speak to other officials coordinating the celebrations. It is also determined how long Britain will wear national mourning – up to 12 days are expected.
Flags on public buildings will be flown at half-mast if they are not already there. Throughout the night, people laid flowers in front of Buckingham Palace, as well as the other royal family residences and residences.
The first TV speech by the new monarch is expected in the early evening (6 p.m. German time). After the speech to the nation, a memorial service is planned at St. Paul’s Cathedral.
China’s head of state and party leader Xi Jinping has expressed his “deep condolences” on the death of Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II. “Your death is a great loss to the British people,” Chinese state television said in his condolence letter to Britain’s new King Charles III on Friday. His heartfelt condolences go out to the British royal family, government and people.
Turkish President Recep Tayip Erdogan has expressed his condolences on the death of Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II. He found out about it with dismay, Erdogan said on Twitter on Thursday evening. He expresses his condolences to the royal family and “friends” in Britain.
Russian President Vladimir Putin also paid tribute to the late British Queen. “For many decades, Elizabeth II has rightly enjoyed the love and respect of her subjects and their worldwide reputation.” According to the Kremlin, Putin wrote this in a telegram of condolences to the new King Charles III. Putin asked the successor to convey his condolences to the royal family and the people of Britain. The Queen received the Kremlin chief at Buckingham Palace in London in 2003, and Putin rudely kept her waiting.
People laid flowers for the late Queen outside the British Embassy. About 30 people gathered in front of the building in Berlin in the evening. The police were also there.
British police have dismantled barricades at the gates of Balmoral Castle. Citizens should be able to lay flowers for Queen Elizabeth II, who died there, as the British news agency PA reported on Thursday. According to the information, the barriers had previously been set up when members of the royal family arrived at the Scottish country estate.
Former Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) was deeply affected by the death of Elizabeth II. She heard the news of the Queen’s death “with great sadness,” said Merkel in Berlin. With her death “an epoch comes to an end”.
“There are no words that can even come close to acknowledging the outstanding importance of this Queen, her sense of duty, her moral integrity, her devotion and her dignity over seven decades for the United Kingdom, for Europe and for the world,” stressed Merkel.
She looks back on her encounters with the Queen “with the greatest gratitude”. “The honor that I was able to meet her several times and that she received me one last time at the end of my term in office last year will always remain in my memory,” said the former Chancellor. She expressed her condolences to the royal family.
Spain’s King Felipe VI. reacted with deep sadness. “We will miss her very much,” he wrote in a telegram of condolences to Elizabeth II’s son, Britain’s new King Charles III. Felipe expressed his condolences to the monarch and all Britons, also on behalf of the government and the Spanish people.
“Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth, has undoubtedly witnessed, written and shaped many of the most important chapters in the history of our world over the past seven decades,” said the Spanish king in honor of the deceased. “Queen Letizia and I send our love and prayers to Her Majesty and all the family. You are all in our hearts and minds.”
The party leaders of the CDU and CSU, Friedrich Merz and Markus Söder, have been affected by the death of British Queen Elizabeth II. “The death of Queen Elizabeth fills me with deep sadness,” said Merz. “For 70 years, she was an international symbol of reliability and dignity,” added the Union faction leader in the Bundestag.
Söder explained that the news of the Queen’s death made him “deeply affected and sad”. “With the death of Queen Elizabeth II, an era ends.” She was “queen and at the same time moral authority and compass” for 70 years. “The whole of Bavaria will also miss her,” added the Bavarian Prime Minister. “Our thoughts are with the family and the UK.”
British musician Mick Jagger (79) thought of Queen Elizabeth II in personal words. “All my life Her Highness Queen Elizabeth II has been there,” the Rolling Stones frontman wrote on Twitter on Thursday. “I remember watching the highlights of their wedding on TV when I was growing up. I remember her as a beautiful young woman, right down to the nation’s beloved grandmother.”
Jagger, who was knighted by Prince Charles in 2003, expressed his “deepest condolences” to the members of the royal family.
Former US President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle Obama have paid tribute to the Queen’s dedicated leadership. “She listened well, thought strategically and was responsible for notable diplomatic successes. And yet she carried her high titles with a certain ease,” the Obamas wrote in a statement. She cast a spell over the world, her long reign was characterized by “grace, elegance and a tireless work ethic”.
The new British king is Charles III. – the palace in London officially confirmed this after British Prime Minister Liz Truss had called it that. There had previously been speculation that the previous heir to the throne could choose one of his other three first names. The 73-year-old’s full name is Charles Philip Arthur George.
US President Joe Biden paid tribute to the late Elizabeth II as a unique stateswoman. “Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II was more than a monarch. She shaped an era,” Biden said in Washington. The seven decades of her historic rule were an age of unprecedented human progress, in which she was there for her country even in times of crisis. “She endured the dangers and hardships of a world war alongside the British people and rallied them during the devastation of a global pandemic”.
Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz praised Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II as a “role model and inspiration for millions, including here in Germany”. Above all, Scholz emphasized her commitment “to German-British reconciliation after the horrors of the Second World War”. This one will not be forgotten. “She will be missed, not least her wonderful sense of humor,” wrote Scholz.
Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier said: “Queen Elizabeth II is a woman who has shaped a century.” Steinmeier continued, according to the information. “Here in Germany, she was admired and revered. Millions of Germans today feel connected to the people of the United Kingdom in mourning and heartfelt sympathy.” The death of the monarch was “a deep turning point, the end of an epoch”.
“Germany mourns the death of the queen. We remain committed to her example of friendship, peace and humanity,” wrote Steinmeier, whose condolence ended with personal words: “My wife and I are deeply grateful for the encounters and we keep them in honorable memory. We are grateful to her for always being friends with our country.” His sympathy and that of the German population also applies in particular to the royal family. “I wish you strength these days, God’s blessings and a happy hand for the great task that has now passed to you, your son,” said the Federal President.
Federal Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock (Greens) expressed her condolences to the British on the death of the Queen. “We mourn the loss of Queen Elizabeth II with our British friends,” Baerbock wrote on Twitter. The monarch had been a source of strength and confidence for her country for “almost 100 years”. Germany remains “eternally grateful to her that she gave us her hand in reconciliation after the terror of the Second World War,” said the Federal Foreign Minister.
EU leaders also expressed their deepest sympathy. “Allow me to express my sincere condolences on behalf of the European Union to Her Majesty, the royal family and the British people,” wrote European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in a letter to King Charles.
New British Prime Minister Liz Truss has described the Queen’s death as a “shock to the nation”. Elizabeth II was “loved and admired worldwide,” Truss said in a brief statement in front of her Downing Street office in London. “The death of Her Majesty the Queen comes as a great shock to the nation and the world,” Truss said.
British musician Elton John (75) has shown himself “deeply sad”. “Queen Elizabeth was a big part of my life from childhood to now and I will miss her dearly,” the musician wrote on Twitter. “She had an inspiring presence, guiding the country through some of our greatest and darkest moments with grace, grace and a genuine compassionate warmth.”
The German Bundestag has interrupted its debate to pay tribute to the late British Queen Elizabeth II in a minute’s silence. The parliamentarians rose from their seats. Bundestag Vice President Yvonne Magwas (CDU) had asked MPs after reading the news of the Queen’s death. Parliament President Bärbel Bas (SPD) will also address the MPs on Friday, Magwas announced. “We’re all thinking of the family, I think.”
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has expressed his condolences to the British royal family on the death of Queen Elizabeth II. The Norwegian politician wrote on Twitter that he was “deeply saddened” by her death. “For more than 70 years she was an example of selfless leadership and public service.” His deepest condolences also go to NATO allies Great Britain and Canada and to the people of the Commonwealth.
Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier has sent his condolences to the British royal family. “Queen Elizabeth II is a woman who has shaped a century,” he wrote to the royal family, according to a spokeswoman. She experienced contemporary history and wrote it herself. “Her Majesty was held in the highest esteem and respect around the world.”
Charles, who succeeds Queen Elizabeth II, expresses his deep sorrow at the death of his mother. “The death of my beloved mother, Her Majesty The Queen, is a moment of great sadness for me and all members of my family,” Charles said in a statement from the royal family.
“We deeply mourn the passing of a cherished Sovereign and a beloved Mother. I know their loss will be deeply felt across the land, in the rich and in the Commonwealth, and by countless people around the world.”
Buckingham Palace officials have posted the official announcement of the Queen’s death on the gates of Buckingham Palace. Hundreds of people had gathered in front of the Queen’s official residence in London before the announcement. Many sang the national anthem and burst into tears as the flag was lowered to half-staff.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres said he was “deeply saddened” by the death of Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II. Guterres sent his condolences to the Queen’s family and to the people of Britain and the Commonwealth.
Elizabeth II, who also visited the UN headquarters twice during her time as Queen, was admired around the world for her “grace, dignity and devotion,” Guterres said. In decades of change, she has offered a “reassuring presence.” “The world will long remember her dedication and leadership.”
After the death of Queen Elizabeth II, the new British King Charles and his wife Camilla are staying at Balmoral Castle in Scotland on Thursday evening. The palace said so. Accordingly, they return to London on Friday.
Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II has died at the age of 96. This was announced by Buckingham Palace on Twitter on Thursday evening. Her successor to the throne is Prince Charles. “The Queen died peacefully in Balmoral this afternoon,” the palace said.
