King Charles III accession officially proclaimed in cities across the UK
Thousands of people gathered across the country to hear the historic announcement
Last updated 12th Sep 2022
King Charles III's accession to the throne was officially proclaimed across the country today, with thousands of people from Cardiff to Edinburgh gathering to hear the historic announcement.
In Belfast, the event took place despite heavy rains in Hillsborough in County Down. The bugler sounded a royal salute after the last round of the 21-gun salute was fired.
The military band then played one verse of God Save the King. Guests joined together and said three cheers for Charles III.
In Edinburgh, the Lord Lyon King of Arms, read the Proclamation to the people of Scotland, which was followed by a 21-gun salute at Edinburgh Castle.
In addition, the Royal Company of Archers and the Guard of Honour marched from Castle Esplanade to the Mercat Cross in High Street.
Prince of Wales is now King Charles III
Thousands of people gathered at Cardiff Castle to hear Charles proclaimed King in Wales. More than 2,000 people were allowed inside the grounds of the castle since the gates opened at 10am.
The former Prince of Wales ascended to the throne following the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, on Thursday. Prince William has now become the new Prince of Wales.
He was then formally proclaimed King at a historic ceremony in St James's Palace in London following a meeting of the Accession Council during which he swore an oath to privy counsellors.
Inside Cardiff Castle, the Wales Herald of Arms Extraordinary, Tom Lloyd, made the Proclamation in English and the Lord-Lieutenant of South Glamorgan, Morfudd Meredith, proclaimed King Charles in Welsh.
After the readings, members of 104th Regiment of the Royal Artillery fired a 21-gun salute before the singing of God Save The King and Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau, Wales's national anthem.
King Charles III
King Charles is born (1948)
Charles Philip Arthur George Windsor was born to then Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip on November 14th, 1948, as the couple's first child.
King Charles in 1952
When his grandfather George VI died and his mother ascended to the throne in 1952, Charles became the future heir of the monarchy at the age of four.
He also became the Duke of Cornwall. When he was 21, in 1969, he became entitled to the full income of the Duchy and took over its management.
Charles' childhood
Growing up, Charles went to a boarding school for his education, studying at Gordonstoun private school in the north-east of Scotland.
Charles' experience at the school helped to shape him, saying in an interview that he was glad to have attended.
King Charles at university
After finishing his A-Levels, Charles broke with royal tradition and went straight to university, where he obtained a 2:2 in a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Cambridge in 1970. This made Charles the first British heir to attain a university degree.
Investiture of the Prince of Wales
In 1969, the Investiture of the Prince of Wales took place at Caernarfon Castle, where Charles was crowned by the Queen as the Prince of Wales.
King Charles in the Navy
King Charles served in the Navy between 1971 to 1976. He trained as a Royal Air Force pilot and served on the frigate HMS Jupiter as part of its Pacific voyage.
King Charles and Diana (1981)
In 1981, Prince Charles married Diana Spencer in the most-watched television event at the time. Over 1 billion people looked on as the Prince and Princess of Wales made their wedding vows.
The marriage birthed Charles' only children - William and Harry, but would end in tragedy as the couple would divorce in 1992. Princess Diana would later die in a car crash in Paris in 1997.
Prince William's first day at Eton College
The King and Princess of Wales and brother Prince Harry join Prince William for his first day at Eton College in September 1995.
Assassination attempt
Following his divorce from Diana, Charles continued to carry out royal duties. Whilst on a tour of Australia in 1994, King Charles was shot at twice by student David Kang.
David Kang was protesting about the treatment of Cambodian asylum seekers in Australia. Charles was not hurt and managed to dodge the bullet.
King Charles and Camilla
King Charles married Camilla Parker Bowles in 2005, 13 years after his divorce from Diana. Because this was Charles' second marriage, he was unable to get married in a church and instead held a civil wedding. Charles' parents did not attend the ceremony, due to the Queen's role as head of the Church of England. Following their marriage, Camilla would go on to receive the title of 'Duchess of Cornwall'.
Media presence
Prince Charles has kept his life relatively private following his marriage to Camilla. The Prince rarely spoke to newspapers and occasionally appeared on television, in order to maintain his privacy.
However, Charles has tried his hand at a number of positions, including presenting the weather for BBC Scotland while on a trip to Glasgow in 2012.
Charity work
Over 40 years Prince Charles has set up 20 charities, he has been a keen supporter of charity work, setting up the Prince's Trust in 1976 to help vulnerable people get their life back on track.
Since then, Charles has been a vocal supporter of human rights, calling for more action against abuse worldwide. Most recently, the Prince commissioned a series of portraits of seven Holocaust survivors in early 2022.
King Charles III and Camilla, Queen Consort
Following the sad death of Queen Elizabeth II, Charles immediately became King Charles III on 8th September.
In the days following his mother's death, he met members of the public with his wife Camilla, now Queen Consort.
On 10th September, an historic meeting at St James' Palace confirmed his role of King.
King Charles III delivers his first address to parliament
King Charles said he felt "the weight of history" as he addressed parliament for the first time as King, adding he vowed to follow the example set by his late mother, Queen Elizabeth II.
Read more:
Tributes paid to Queen Elizabeth II
The Queen and her many Prime Ministers
The Queen's 73-year marriage to Prince Philip