One day after the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, and his accession to the throne, King Charles III prayed. On Friday, cannon fire rang out religiously and across the United Kingdom to mark this change in times.
Updated yesterday at 12:43 p.m.
Stuart GRAHAM with Marie HEUCLIN at the Agence France-Presse in London
No major public event was planned to commemorate the death of Queen Elizabeth II at the age of 96 on September 8, 2022 at her Balmoral Castle in Scotland, where she traditionally spent her summers.
In the morning, his heir, dressed in a red tartan kilt, and his wife, Queen Camilla, who are currently in Balmoral, went to the small parish church of Chratie Kirk, where the royal family has had its customs since Queen Victoria.
They took part in a prayer and exchanged a few words with those gathered around the church.
“It’s a sad day,” Ross Nichol, a 22-year-old student who was present at the scene and watched the funeral procession pass by last year, told AFP.
PHOTO DANIEL LEAL, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
People gathered at Buckingham Palace.
“She did a lot of good and took an important place in the world,” said Nicole Hoppe, a tourist from Munich.
Charles III released a short message to thank the public for their support and continue to pay tribute to his mother: “We remember with great affection her long life, her dedicated service and all that she represented to many of us.”
Harry at Windsor
“We all miss you,” Prince William, heir to the crown, and his wife Kate wrote on X (formerly Twitter), paying tribute to the “extraordinary life” and “legacy” the Queen left behind.
The very popular couple attended a short private mass at St David’s Cathedral in Wales, where dozens of people gathered to greet them.
PHOTO BY TOBY MELVILLE, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
Prince William, heir to the crown, and his wife Kate attended a short private mass at St. David’s Cathedral.
Prince Harry, who is currently in the UK for a charity event, was spotted leaving St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle, where the Queen is buried.
However, this first anniversary should not be the occasion for a reconciliation between the Duke of Sussex, who now lives in California with his wife Meghan and their two children, and the rest of the royal family, especially his brother William, who was exhausted by him in his memoirs .
Charles soon in France
At midday, cannons were fired from Hyde Park and the Tower of London, as well as in Belfast and Edinburgh, and the bells of Westminster Abbey rang. Visitors came to leave bouquets of flowers outside the gates of Buckingham Palace.
Just a year ago, late in the afternoon, the flag above the building was lowered to half-mast to announce to the assembled crowd the death of the ruler, whose popularity extended far beyond the borders of the United Kingdom.
A period of national mourning began, with hundreds of thousands of Britons waiting tens of hours to guard the coffin of the ruler, whose longevity was unprecedented for a British monarch.
For the United Kingdom and the 14 other nations whose head of state is the British sovereign, a turning point turned with the accession to the throne of Charles III, who is already old (currently 74 years old).
The government announced a few days ago that a project for a “permanent monument” would be presented in 2026, the 100th birthday of Elizabeth II.
After a lifetime of waiting his turn, the past year has been full of firsts for the new monarch. He notably appointed a prime minister, Rishi Sunak, gave his first Christmas speech and even made his first state visit abroad, to Germany, before visiting France at the end of September. He received heads of state, in particular the American Joe Biden and the Ukrainian Volodymyr Zelensky.
Although the king was less popular than Elizabeth II, he also saw the rise of anti-monarchy demonstrations during his travels around the country, particularly during his coronation on May 6.
However, according to a recent YouGov poll, 59% of Britons believe the King is “doing a good job”, while 17% think the opposite.
The queen’s corgis, Muick and Sandy, are doing well, said Sarah Ferguson, Prince Andrew’s ex-wife, who looks after the two short-legged dogs.