Charles III appears in parliament for first time as King to hear Queen tributes

Charles III appeared emotional as MPs and peers stood to sing ‘God Save the King’ on his first appearance in Parliament as Britain’s monarch.

Both houses gathered this morning to honour Queen Elizabeth following her death aged 96 on Thursday.

The Speaker of the Commons spoke of how Her Majesty ‘touched lives’ across the country, while the Lord speaker noted that many somehow believed her historic reign would never come to an end.

Addressing Parliament for the first time as Head of State, Charles quoted William Shakespeare while describing his ‘selfless’ mother’s remarkable legacy.

‘As Shakespeare says of the earlier Queen Elizabeth, she was “a pattern to all princes living”‘, he said.

He added that he ‘could not help but feel the weight of history’ as he stood in front of officials.

‘Parliament is the living and breathing instrument of our democracy’, he said. ‘That your traditions are ancient we see in the construction of this great Hall and the reminders of medieval predecessors of the office to which I have been called.

‘And the tangible connections to my darling late mother we see all around us; from the fountain in New Palace Yard which commemorates the late Queen’s Silver Jubilee to the sundial in Old Palace Yard for the Golden Jubilee, the magnificent Stained Glass Window before me for the Diamond Jubilee and, so poignantly and yet to be formally unveiled, your most generous gift to her late majesty to mark the unprecedented Platinum Jubilee which we celebrated only three months ago, with such joyful hearts.

‘The great bell of Big Ben – one of the most powerful symbols of our nation throughout the world and housed within the Elizabeth Tower also named for my mother’s Diamond Jubilee – will mark the passage of the late Queen’s progress from Buckingham Palace to this Parliament on Wednesday.’

A fanfare of trumpets had sounded as the King and Queen Consort, both dressed in black, arrived in Westminster Hall.

Following the King’s address, the audience stood and the national anthem was sung.

Prime Minister Liz Truss and Opposition leader Sir Keir Starmer were seen sitting side-by-side as they listened to the addresses among other officials.

Sir Lindsay Hoyle, the Commons Speaker, said the loss of the Queen was felt across the globe, but added that he knew others’ grief did not compare to that of her family’s.

Offering his heartfelt sympathies, he said: ‘They have spoken of her sense of duty, her wisdom, her kindness, her humanity, how she touched the lives of hundreds of thousands of their constituents in her visits to every part of this country. The words have been heartfelt.’

Speaking on behalf of peers, Lord McFall, the Lord Speaker, described Her Majesty as ‘a leader of her people, and a servant of them too’.

Her humility and integrity ‘commanded respect and captured the imagination of peoples and nations across the globe’, he said.

Dressed in his ceremonial robes, Lord McFall continued: ‘Our late Majesty’s joyous unstinting and reassuring presence across the years made it difficult to contemplate that her long and inspiring reign of deep and unparalleled devotion would ever end.

‘But it has ended, only a few months after we celebrated her late Majesty’s historic platinum jubilee.

‘And as you said so movingly, Your Majesty, in your address to the nation, we all know feel a sense of loss beyond measure.’

Later today, Charles will lead the Royal Family in a poignant procession behind the coffin of his mother when it travels to an Edinburgh cathedral to allow the public to pay their respects.

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