The new King has addressed both Houses of Parliament this morning.
A fanfare of trumpets sounded as the King and Queen Consort, both dressed in black, arrived in Westminster Hall as the crowded hall stood to attention and only sat once the King had done so
The King quoted Shakespeare in a tribute to the Queen saying: “As Shakespeare said of the earlier Queen Elizabeth, she was a pattern to all princes living.”
The Queen he said,“set an example of selfless duty which, with God’s help and your counsels, I am resolved faithfully to follow.”
“As I stand before you today I cannot help but feel the weight of history that surrounds us and which reminds us of the vital Parliamentary traditions to which members of both Houses dedicate yourselves, with such personal commitment, for the betterment of us all.”
Earlier addressing the new monarch Lord McFall, the speaker of the House of Lords said : “We all now feel a sense of loss beyond measure.We remember her commitment, her kindness, her courage and her fortitude”
He said that the light of the Queen’s diamond jubilee stained glass memorial window has added beauty to the grey stones of this hall adding that the 11th century Westminster hall has been at the centre of our national story since medieval times.
The speaker of the House of Commons Sir Lindsay Hoyle said that MPs and peers had gathered to “express our deep sympathy of the loss we have all sustained”, and that the loss is being “felt around the world”.
“Deep as our grief is, we know yours is deeper,” he added
The new King will now fly to Edinburgh to join his siblings in a solemn procession when the coffin of his mother Queen Elizabeth is taken to the city’s historic cathedral.
