LondonKing Charles will officially be proclaimed as Britain's new monarch on Saturday in a ceremony followed by gun salutes and the reading of proclamations.
The death of 96-year-old Queen Elizabeth, Britain's longest-reigning monarch, has drawn an outpouring of tributes from at home and around the globe. Leaders from around the world are expected in London for the funeral, including U.S. President Joe Biden. A state funeral will be held in just over a week.
Charles, 73, succeeded his mother immediately on Thursday, but an Accession Council made up of hundreds of politicians, bishops and senior civil servants will proclaim his succession on Saturday at a ceremony.
The proclamation will be read publicly in the other capital cities of the United Kingdom - Edinburgh in Scotland, Belfast in Northern Ireland, and Cardiff in Wales - and at other locations, too.
First address
The new king vowed on Friday to serve the nation with "loyalty, respect and love" in his first address to the nation as king. Charles is king and head of state of the United Kingdom and 14 other realms including Australia, Canada, Jamaica, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea
Charles also said in his address that he had made his eldest son William, 40, the new Prince of Wales, the title that had been his for more than 50 years and is traditionally held by the heir to the throne.
William's wife Kate becomes Princess of Wales, a role last held by the late Princess Diana.
Although he is already king, Charles' coronation will take place at a later date - and the timing for that is not yet clear. There was a 16-month gap between Elizabeth becoming queen in 1952 and her coronation in 1953.
Charles, who opinion polls indicate is less popular than his mother, now has the task of securing the institution's future.