Following the death of Queen Elizabeth II, King Charles III will officially be proclaimed as King on Saturday, September 10.

He will be proclaimed King at the Accession Council at 10am on Saturday in the State Apartments of St James’s Palace, Buckingham Palace said.

Charles has automatically become King after the death of his mother, but an Accession Council is usually convened at St James’s Palace in London within 24 hours of the death of a sovereign.

This has occurred because the announcement of the Queen’s death did not come until early evening on Thursday, meaning there was not enough time to set the plans in motion for Friday morning.

King Charles III's accession to be televised

For the first time ever, King Charles III’s accession will be televised, Clarence House has confirmed.

The Palace said: “His Majesty The King will be proclaimed at the Accession Council at 10.00hrs tomorrow morning 10th September in the State Apartments of St James’s Palace, London.

“The Accession Council, attended by Privy Councillors, is divided into two parts. In Part I, the Privy Council, without The King present, will proclaim the Sovereign, and formally approve various consequential Orders, including the arrangements for the Proclamation.

“Part II, is the holding by The King of His Majesty’s first Privy Council. The King will make his Declaration and read and sign an oath to uphold the security of the Church in Scotland and approve Orders in Council which facilitate continuity of government.”

Historically, the entire Privy Council is summoned to the Accession Council to oversee the formal proclamation of a new monarch.

But with the number of privy counsellors – who are lifetime members and mostly past and present politicians – now standing at more than 700, restrictions have been put in place.


The Queen's life in pictures


Only 200 will be summoned, and those cut will be asked to enter an annual ballot for a few remaining seats.

King Charles III to address the nation tonight

Charles will address the nation tonight at 6pm in his first televised address as King.

Last night, he released a statement following the news of his mother’s death, expressing his sadness in the time of mourning.

Following the announcement His Majesty The King said: “The death of my beloved Mother, Her Majesty The Queen, is a moment of the greatest sadness for me and all members of my family.

“We mourn profoundly the passing of a cherished Sovereign and a much-loved Mother.

“I know her loss will be deeply felt throughout the country, the Realms and the Commonwealth, and by countless people around the world.

“During this period of mourning and change, my family and I will be comforted and sustained by our knowledge of the respect and deep affection in which The Queen was so widely held.”

The Queen dies, aged 96

Born on April 21, 1926, during the reign of her paternal grandfather King George V Queen Elizabeth II went on the be Britain’s longest-reigning monarch.

The nation’s longest-reigning monarch reached her historic Platinum Jubilee of 70 years on the throne on February 6.

As the oldest daughter of King George VI, she became Queen following his death in 1952 while on a tour of Australia and New Zealand with her late husband, Prince Philip.

Her coronation took place the following year and she was crowned aged 27.

She has since become one of the most-loved figures around the world travelling more widely than any other monarch during her extraordinary reign.

Elizabeth II is the first British monarch in history to reach her Platinum Jubilee, and plans are in motion for a host of national festivities in June to mark the occasion.

Her reign has stretched from the post-war years through a new millennium and into a radically altered 21st century.

Her time on the throne has seen 15 prime ministers from the Second World War leader Sir Winston Churchill to Liz Truss.

She is survived by her four children: Charles, Prince of Wales; Anne, Princess Royal, Prince Andrew, Duke of York, and Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex.