King Charles III of the United Kingdom and the British Commonwealth promised this Friday afternoon, in his first speech as monarch, to continue the “lifetime service of Queen Elizabeth II, as Great Britain entered an era, new and uncertain, under the sovereign.
Throughout the world the queen’s exceptional reign was commemorated, celebrated and debated. Charles III even resorted to an idea from his mother, expressed when she took over the kingship, that she would serve faithfully as long as God allows her.
Charles III, who spent much of his 73 years preparing to be king, addressed a grieving nation. No one 70 years of age or younger has lived outside the “gaze” of Elizabeth Regina, who died on Friday at the age of 96 after a 70-year reign.
Carlos III evoked the “deep pain” for the death of his mother, calling her “inspiration and example for me and for my whole family”, and said that what happened has changed the life of his family. Among many changes, the new king announced that his eldest son, William, is now the Prince of Wales, and his wife, Camilla, the “queen consort.”
“That promise of lifetime service [hecha por la reina a los 25 años] I renew it today to all. As the queen herself did with such unwavering devotion, so do I now solemnly pledge, for the remaining time that God grants me, to uphold the constitutional principles at the heart of our nation,” she said.
The king’s speech was broadcast on television and the signal reached St. Paul’s Cathedral, where some 2,000 people attended a memorial service for the queen.
On this first day in office as king, Charles III left Balmoral Castle, where the queen died, and flew to London. He went directly to Buckingham Palace for the first time as sovereign. As he entered he stopped, got out of the limo and walked over to the crowd who shouted, “Well done, Charlie!” A woman hugged him and kissed him on the cheek. Carlos III looked excited. He didn’t get back in the car. He entered the palace walking.
The British woke up this Friday with a new task: to internalize that they no longer have a queen but a king. And a king who, although throughout his adolescence and adulthood was popularly seen with a certain delay or slowness, and devoid of personality, has shown in recent hours that this is not the case.
In a rare edition, but motivated by the 70-year reign of Elizabeth II, New York Times published 12 pages dedicated to the event and the ascension of the new king. Of these pages, seven were dedicated exclusively to the obituary of the Queen.
In the others, the reactions of the British are documented. With two glasses of beer in hand, in the almost silent Princess Louise Pub Mike Rowe and Jeff Nightinghill expressed the national feeling to the newspaper, further reinforced by uninterrupted coverage by the national channels captured in Miami.
“She was the best thing about this country my whole life,” the 77-year-old Rowe said. “She is the continuity of everything we believe in.” Moreover: “she was very moral and [yo] I adored her without taking into account that I do not consider myself a monarchist. I don’t think the country will ever be the same. We were very lucky to have her in our time.”
His friend Nightingill, 76, has his eyes watering. “She is a bit of the UK that will never be replaced.”
They and millions of Britons attended the remembrance session at St. James’s Church, where the political class appeared and the first tribute was paid to the queen. Minutes later, a salvo of cannon shots was heard that was felt from the United Kingdom, passing through the possession of Gibraltar on the Iberian Peninsula, to Australia. The Queen’s Grenadiers were uniformed in the manner of the 18th century.
Today it did not rain in London, like yesterday after the death; but she lived intensely. So much so, that the proclamation of Carlos III to the throne by the Ascension Council was transferred to tomorrow, Saturday. The coronation is expected in the middle of next year.
For now, next week the new king will tour the United Kingdom to present himself, explain his ideas and reaffirm his kingdom. He will even go to Northern Ireland.
After which the British will begin to realize if it is true, if “you are doing well Charlie”. And, meanwhile, they continue to gather in front of Buckingham in the hope of living days of glory like those of their late “mama”, as he referred to in the speech. The phrase has moved an entire generation.
