Princes William, Harry greet sea of mourners at Windsor
William, Kate, Harry and Meghan together pay tributes to Queen at Windsor Castle; Prince William pledges support for King Charles in every way he can
Prince Harry and his wife Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, have joined Prince William and his wife Kate, the Princess of Wales, at Windsor Castle to view the sea of floral tributes let by the public in honour of Queen Elizabeth II, the princes’ grandmother.
Warring brothers Prince William and Prince Harry, and their wives Kate and Meghan, reunited on Saturday to inspect floral tributes to Queen Elizabeth II and greet well-wishers.
The two couples, all dressed in mourning black, were seen together looking at the growing banks of flowers let at the gates of Windsor Castle since the queen’s death on Thursday aged 96.
All four were seen shaking hands and speaking with members of the public. It was the two couples’ first public appearance since the queen died.
Queen Elizabeth II will lie in state starting from Wednesday for four days at the House of Parliament, palace officials said, ater her body is brought from Balmoral, first to Edinburgh and then to London. The state funeral will take place on Sept.19 at Westminster Abbey.
Organisers described the ceremony as a “a fiting farewell to one of the defining figures of our times.’’
The palace made the announcement hours ater the first accession ceremony since 1952, when Queen Elizabeth II took the throne.
New Prime Minister Liz Truss and five of her predecessors were among scores of senior current and former British politicians who gathered in the ornate state apartments at St. James’s Palace for the meeting of the Accession Council.
They met without Charles, officially confirming his title, King Charles III. The king then joined them, vowing to follow his mother’s “inspiring example” as he took on the duties of monarch.
In his first statement since his grandmother’s death, William said the queen “was by my side at my happiest moments. And she was by my side during the saddest days of my life.”
“I knew this day would come, but it will be some time before the reality of life without Grannie will truly feel real,” he said.
Prince William said he would honour the memory of his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth, by working to support his father King Charles. “I will honour her memory by supporting my father, The King, in every way I can.”
Charles, 73, was officially proclaimed Britain’s new monarch in a ceremony earlier on Saturday, having immediately succeeded his mother when the 96-year-old queen died on Thursday.
William, 40, who is now the heir to the throne, said that the queen “was by my side at my happiest moments. And she was by my side during the saddest days of my life”.
“I knew this day would come, but it will be some time before the reality of life without Grannie will truly feel real.” On Friday, Charles on Friday bestowed on William the title Prince of Wales, which he previously held.
William’s wife Kate was given the title Princess of Wales, which was previously held by Charles’ late first wife, Diana. The House of Commons was holding a rare Saturday session so lawmakers could pay tribute to the late monarch.
The country has also just seen a change of leader. Truss was appointed by the queen on Tuesday, just two days before the monarch died.
On Saturday, Truss and other senior UK lawmakers lined up in the House of Commons to take an oath of loyalty to the new king.
Normal parliamentary business has been suspended during a period of mourning for the queen. The House of Commons was holding a rare Saturday session so lawmakers could pay tribute to the late monarch.
Charles struck a note of continuity Friday, vowing in a televised address to carry on the queen’s “lifelong service,” with his own modernising stamp.
The new monarch looked to both the past — noting his mother’s unwavering “dedication and devotion as sovereign” – and the future, seeking to strike a reassuring note of constancy while signaling that his will be a 21st-century monarchy.
He reflected on how the country had changed dramatically during the queen’s reign into a society “of many cultures and many faiths,” and pledged to serve people in Britain and the 14 other countries where he is king “whatever may be your background or beliefs.”