Subhechcha Ganguly 
God Save the King was chanted by the crowds gathered in London this evening as King Charles III, the former longest-serving Prince of Wales, was proclaimed the new British Monarch. While he succeeded to the throne when his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, died at 96 on September 8, King Charles III was officially proclaimed in two ceremonies in London, at Accession Country House and at Buckingham Palace.King Charles III stated, “I am deeply aware of this great inheritance and of the duties and heavy responsibilities of sovereignty which have now passed to me,” in his declaration to the Accession Council.The first child of his mother and Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, Charles was born in Buckingham Palace. He was also the first grandchild of King George VI and his wife, Queen Elizabeth. Charles is the oldest monarch to ever ascend to the British throne at the age of 73, breaking William IV’s record of 64 set in 1830.
“In taking up these responsibilities, I shall strive to follow the inspiring example I have been set in upholding constitutional government and to seek the peace, harmony and prosperity of the peoples of these islands and of the Commonwealth realms and territories throughout the world”, he added.King Charles signed the official documents of proclamation alongside his wife, Queen Consort Camilla, and son and heir Prince William, the new Prince of Wales.
Charles also reaffirmed the custom of handing over the Crown Estate and all revenues to the nation in exchange for the Sovereign Grant, which pays for royal expenses in the UK. Following the Principal Proclamation, King Charles III held his first Privy Council meeting and made his personal declaration to “assume the duties and responsibilities of sovereignty” and follow in the steps of his late mother. The proclamation was marked by a 41-gun salute fired by The King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery at Hyde Park in London.
