Latest: King pays tribute to the Queen in first address to nation as monarch

He paid tribute to his “darling Mama” and said: “Queen Elizabeth was a life well lived; a promise with destiny kept and she is mourned most deeply in her passing. That promise of lifelong service I renew to you all today.”

He also used his speech to announce that he had created his son William the Prince of Wales, with Kate the Princess of Wales.

Earlier the King greeted well-wishers gathered outside Buckingham Palace to view floral tributes left in memory of his mother, and to thank the crowds for offering their sympathy.

Also on Friday evening, a public service of remembrance was held at St Paul’s Cathedral in central London, with the first official public rendition of God Save the King taking place.

8.20pm

That’s the end of today’s coverage as the King turned to his duties as monarch, holding his first audience with Prime Minister Liz Truss, delivering a televised address to the nation and greeting well-wishers outside Buckingham Palace.

On Saturday, the King’s Accession Council, showing the King being formally proclaimed monarch and Charles making his declaration and oath, will be held at 10am in St James’s Palace.

7.45pm

First Minister of Wales Mark Drakeford said: “King Charles III has enjoyed a long and enduring friendship with Wales.

“In his first public duty as monarch, at this most demanding of times, he has bestowed the title of Prince of Wales to his eldest son William.

“We look forward to deepening our relationship with the new Prince and Princess of Wales as they take on their new duties.”

7.39pm

A view of the Service of Prayer and Reflection at St Paul’s Cathedral.

At 7.05pm, after the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby delivered a blessing, the first official public rendition of God Save the King took place as the service neared its conclusion.

7.30pm

The King also paid tribute to the “steadfast devotion to duty” of his “darling wife” Camilla in his first address to the nation, saying he can “count on her loving help” and praising her by saying: “I know she will bring to the demands of her new role the steadfast devotion to duty on which I have come to rely so much.”

7.25pm

A notice announcing the Queen’s death has been removed from the railings of Buckingham Palace.

The notice, set in a foolscap imperial-sized dark wooden frame, had remained on the gates since the Queen’s death was announced on Thursday evening.

Two members of palace staff dressed in black removed the sign on Friday evening.

7.18pm

Prime Minister Liz Truss, meanwhile, has had her first audience with the new King at Buckingham Palace.

7.15pm

William and Kate have become the new Prince and Princess of Wales, with the King announcing their titles in his historic address to the nation.

King Charles III set his affairs in order in a television broadcast on Friday evening, saying he was proud to bestow the title on his eldest son and heir.

It means William is following in his father’s footsteps, and Kate has become the first person since Diana, Princess of Wales to use the title, which Diana held when she was married to Charles.

A source close to William and Kate said the princess “appreciates the history” of the role but will “want to look to the future as she creates her own path”.

7.07pm

The first official public rendition of God Save the King has taken place at the service of prayer and reflection for the Queen at St Paul’s Cathedral.

7.05pm

Video: The King’s address to nation

7.02pm

The Prince and Princess of Wales’s Twitter account was changed to reflect their new titles.

The adjustment was made just a day after it was switched to the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall and Cambridge, following the death of the Queen.

6.50pm

6.44pm

The Service of Prayer and Reflection is under way following the King’s address.

Dean of St Paul’s Andrew Tremlett paid tribute to the Queen and the royal family during the service.

He said: “With proud thanksgiving, we gather in this cathedral today to mourn the death of our Sovereign Lady, Queen Elizabeth the Second.

“We remember her long life spent in the service of this country and of her Commonwealth realms around the world. We give thanks for a life of devotion to God, her Creator, Redeemer and Sustainer, and of devotion to all her people.

“As we call to mind the promise made at her Coronation that all her judgments should be guided by Law, Justice and Mercy, we rejoice in her steady acceptance of this vocation.

“We celebrate her love for her family, her commitment to duty, and her calling to create unity and concord at the heart of the Commonwealth.”

6.36pm

The King said his eldest son and heir, William, assumes the Scottish titles “which have meant so much to me”, and succeeds him as the Duke of Cornwall.

He said: “Today, I am proud to create him Prince of Wales, Tywysog Cymru, the country whose title I have been so greatly privileged to bear during so much of my life and duty.

“With Catherine beside him, our new Prince and Princess of Wales will, I know, continue to inspire and lead our national conversations, helping to bring the marginal to the centre ground where vital help can be given.”

The King added he wished to “express my love for Harry and Meghan as they continue to build their lives overseas”.

6.18pm

MPs applauded the King’s address after they watched it in silence in the Commons chamber.

Some could be seen wiping away tears during the speech.

The Commons had been suspended for a short period to allow MPs to watch the speech on televisions in the chamber.

6.14pm

The King ended his address by saying: “To my darling Mama, as you begin your last great journey to join my dear late Papa, I want simply to say this: thank you. Thank you for your love and devotion to our family and to the family of nations you have served so diligently all these years. May ‘flights of angels sing thee to thy rest’.”

6.10pm

The King said his mother pledged to devote her life “to the service of her peoples” on her 21st birthday in 1947.

He said: “That was more than a promise: it was a profound personal commitment which defined her whole life.

“She made sacrifices for duty.

“Her dedication and devotion as Sovereign never waivered, through times of change and progress, through times of joy and celebration, and through times of sadness and loss.”

The King added: “As the Queen herself did with such unswerving devotion, I too now solemnly pledge myself, throughout the remaining time God grants me, to uphold the Constitutional principles at the heart of our nation.”

6.07pm

The King began his address by telling the nation: “I speak to you today with feelings of profound sorrow.

“Throughout her life, Her Majesty The Queen – my beloved Mother – was an inspiration and example to me and to all my family, and we owe her the most heartfelt debt any family can owe to their mother; for her love, affection, guidance, understanding and example.”

6.02pm

The audio of the King’s televised address was broadcast in St Paul’s Cathedral at 6pm as hundreds of people gathered for the service of prayer and reflection.

Ahead of the address being played in the cathedral, Charles was referred to as “our new King”.

5.49pm

Mourners are beginning to take their seats in St Paul’s Cathedral for the service of prayer and reflection which will begin at 6pm.

The first official rendition of God Save the King will be sung at the end of the memorial service for the Queen.

The lyrics to the national anthem will change from “Queen” to “King” and “her victorious” to “him victorious” to mark that King Charles III has now taken over as monarch.

5.36pm

The FA has confirmed tributes will be paid at the UEFA Nations League fixture with Germany at Wembley on September 26, including a period of silence before kick-off and the wearing of black armbands.

England manager Gareth Southgate paid a personal tribute to The Queen’s many years of “impeccable duty”.

Southgate said: “My thoughts today are with His Majesty King Charles III, the FA President HRH The Duke of Cambridge and the Royal Family.

“In remembering and celebrating the life of Her Majesty The Queen, we are also acknowledging her remarkable leadership and lifetime of dignified service.

“She showed the world what it is to be British. Her values, her dignity, her resilience were an exemplar to us all and she has provided us with stability and reassurance in the best and also most difficult of times.

“I was proud to have her as our patron and to sing God Save The Queen before every match.

“The team will have the chance to pay our respects at our fixture with Germany later this month. An occasion that will, of course, bring to mind the World Cup final in 1966 and the moment when Her Majesty handed the Jules Rimet trophy to Bobby Moore.

“As Wembley and the country falls silent, I will think of that and her 70 years of impeccable duty.”

5.30pm

Floral tributes have been laid at the gates of Balmoral in Scotland.

5.24pm

The National Television Awards will be rescheduled to October 13 following the death of the Queen.

The prize ceremony was due to take place on September 15.

A statement said: “ITV and Indigo Television have taken the decision to reschedule this year’s National Television Awards; the ceremony will now take place on Thursday October 13, live from the OVO Arena Wembley.

“All tickets will remain valid for the new date.”

5.16pm

Jacqueline Cable, 40, said the Queen had been her “heroine” since she was a child as she queued outside St Paul’s Cathedral ahead of Friday’s service.

Ms Cable, who works in marketing, said: “I feel a huge sense of loss because to me she was inextricably linked to my grandma. She’s been my heroine since I was a young child.

“I want to pray and thank God that we had such a rock. I did see her in Cambridge in about 2003.”

Asked what her impression had been on seeing the Queen in person, she said: “She was so sweet, so friendly, so devoted to her job.

“An absolute pillar of strength, integrity and humility.

“We were so blessed and I feel so sad for her family, which is a volume of people who span the globe, but most of all her immediate family. There will be people in every corner of the world who are devastated today.”

5.05pm

Emma Spreckley, 43, had travelled to Buckingham Palace with her friend Jacqueline Southwick, 55, from their homes in Mitcham, south London, in memory of the Queen.

She was sympathetic to the grieving King after meeting him: “He looked a bit shocked, I suppose he is, as it’s your mum at the end of the day, and now he’s here shaking people’s hands and trying to, I suppose, get through it as best he can.”

In reference to the thousands who were at the palace to pay their respects to the late Queen, Ms Southwick added “Seeing all this – he’s got the support of the nation.”

Camilla, who wore a Fiona Clare dress, walked around 20 metres behind her husband also shaking hands and Charles waited for his wife before they looked at the hundreds of floral tributes.

In a touching moment, Charles put his hand around his wife who was visibly moved after meeting the well-wishers before they began to look at the letters, cards, bouquets and candles left in memory of the Queen.

4.59pm

The King received the heartfelt condolences of the public as he greeted well-wishers outside Buckingham Palace. Crowds lined up behind a barrier clamouring to greet him, smiling and taking photos of him on their phones.

4.54pm

A peer recalled having been “lucky enough to be brought up for the early part of my life” in Balmoral and his memories of the Queen.

The Earl of Caithness told the Lords: “Yes, Her Majesty was the Queen, but to me she was a mother. To any boy aged six as I was then, she was primarily a mother, she was a mother that drove her children over to play with us occasionally, she was a mother who behaved as every other mum that I knew did.”

The Conservative hereditary peer recalled dancing “a dance totally different to everybody else in the room” with his sister as a child, and remarked how the Queen came over and joined them, concluding: “I would like to thank you Ma’am for all those wonderful happy memories and a great life.”

4.25pm

People have started arriving for the Service of Prayer and Reflection at St Paul’s Cathedral, which is open to the public and is being broadcast live by the BBC.

A total of 2,000 seats have been allocated to the public on a first-come-first-served basis, with all of the wristbands for the evening service being distributed within three hours, a cathedral spokeswoman said.

4.13pm

The King has held his first in-person audience with Prime Minister Liz Truss at Buckingham Palace.

4.10pm

Vice Chief of the Defence Staff General Gwyn Jenkins paid tribute to the Queen who he said “epitomised the best values of service”.

Alongside a photograph of the Queen, the Ministry of Defence tweeted a message from the Vice chief.

4.04pm

Sinn Fein vice president Michelle O’Neill said the Queen has left a legacy of someone who “reached out the hand of friendship”.

Speaking after signing a book of condolence at Belfast City Hall, Ms O’Neill said: “It is with deep regret that we have learned of the passing of Queen Elizabeth II, first and foremost my thoughts are very much with her family, with her children, with her grandchildren, with that wider family circle.

“I am sure they mourn her loss very, very deeply.

“I also want to specifically acknowledge the hurt and the grief of those in the unionist community here, our neighbours who will feel her loss and miss her leadership over the past 70 years.

“I think there is no doubt that she leaves a legacy of someone who reached out the hand of friendship, someone who advanced peace and reconciliation, someone who sought to build relations with those of an Irish and those of a British identity.

“I think that was sterling work and something she will be very much remembered for here on this island.”

3.55pm

Bond producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G Wilson have sent their “heartfelt condolences” to the royal family following the Queen’s death.

The monarch famously appeared alongside 007 actor Daniel Craig during the opening ceremony for the London Olympics.

A joint statement from Broccoli and Wilson said: “We join the world in mourning the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. We send our heartfelt condolences to her family.”

3.48pm

Royal salutes were fired with one round for every year of the Queen’s life at 1pm in Hyde Park by the King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery.

Thousands of people stood in solemn silence for 16 minutes as the cannons boomed once every 10 seconds, sending smoke across the grounds with each round.

3.40pm

Charles smiled at comments from the public and at several moments threw up his hands as if to say “thank-you” when condolences were shouted out.

A well-wisher called out “We love you King Charles and we loved your mum”, and later Chares was overheard saying “thank-you so much” after another comment from a member of the public.

There were impromptu renditions of the national anthem from parts of the crowd, with the words changed to reflect the country now has a King.

3.37pm

The PM and senior ministers will attend a public service of remembrance at St Paul’s Cathedral in central London this evening.

A hundreds-strong queue winding from St Paul’s to beyond the Tube station streets away formed.

Attendees were dressed smartly in black suits and ties while others wore black mourning veils as they waited to take their seats inside the cathedral.

3.31pm

Prime Minister Liz Truss tweeted to say the Queen “was the rock on which modern Britain was built”, adding: “The thoughts of this government and this nation are with His Majesty The King and his family.”

3.26pm

Pavement artist Tony Drakes said he had decided to draw a tribute to the Queen on Worcester’s High Street to honour someone he regarded as the nation’s mother.

As he worked on a chalk portrait of the Queen adorned with hearts and the message “from the people”, the 68-year-old said: “She’s worked all her life hasn’t she?

“To last that long in a job like that shows strength doesn’t it?

“She has done better than anyone else could ever do.”

3.19pm

King Charles III and the Queen walk across the forecourt of Buckingham Palace, London, as he enters the palace for the first time as the new King.

3.17pm

Speaking in the House of Lords, former defence chief Lord Stirrup recalled, like the Archbishop of Canterbury, attending winter barbeques at Sandringham.

He said: “I am very proud of having been the co-producer with my sovereign of a particularly successful salad dressing.”

The independent crossbencher told the chamber: “The nation has lost a Queen. The people have lost one of the best servants they have ever known in this or any other age.”

The Bishop of St Albans, the Rt Rev Alan Smith, also recounted a trip to the late Queen’s Norfolk estate where he was treated to a ride in the monarch’s Range Rover.

He said: “She came out very brusquely and shouted across to me ‘Jump in bishop I am driving’.

“She set off at a rate of knots. I was holding on for dear life. She taught me a great deal about prayer at that particular point, which is perhaps why she is called the defender of the faith.”

3.10pm

The Rugby Football Union confirmed that games in England can go ahead this weekend.

2.56pm

Among the crowds at Buckingham Palace, retired Ammar Al-Baldawi, 64, from Hertfordshire, said: “It was impressive, touching, a good move to come out to the crowds.

“I think that’s where the royal family needs to communicate with the people now.

“These are true loyalists here and it’s nice to see him back in post, taking charge of the family and the Crown, which is reassuring.

“Just seeing a glimpse of him gives you the sense we were there at that moment.

“I’m sure he wants to be on his own to think about his mother but he’s doing his duty.”

2.54pm

Film director Raynald Leconte, 47, from New York, said he was lucky enough to speak to the King and Queen outside Buckingham Palace.

“It was quite a moment,” he said.

“I said, ‘Condolences’.

He said, ‘Really, really thank you very much’.

“And to his wife I wished her good luck and she said, ‘Thank you very much’.

“I think she said, ‘I’ll need it’.”

2.40pm

A well-wisher kissed the King’s hand during a walkabout outside Buckingham Palace.

Cheers rang out at the Palace as the King and Queen arrived, along with shouts of “God save the King”.

Many people held their phones aloft to try to catch a glimpse of them as they greeted members of the crowd and look at the tributes left for the Queen as the sun shone.

Colin Hennessy, 52, said: “It’s great to see the King.

“You can see he’s very emotional but he was very grateful to everybody here.

“He thanked as many people as he could as he walked by.”

2.38pm

Play at the BMW PGA Championship will restart on Saturday morning, the DP World Tour has announced.

2.37pm

Around 10,000 police officers could be on duty every day in London in the lead up to the Queen’s funeral as part of the biggest security operation the country has seen.

Former Metropolitan Police commander Bob Broadhurst, who led the policing operation for the London 2012 Olympics, said all leave and training is likely to be cancelled and extra help called in from surrounding forces in the Home Counties.

The Met will also need extra specialist officers from outside forces across the UK, including close protection and firearms, to take part in the meticulously planned and complex security operation.

2.35pm

Channel 4 has confirmed Gogglebox will air on Friday evening as planned as the broadcaster feels it will bring a “valuable sense of continuity” for many of their viewers.

A statement from a Channel 4 spokesman said: “Channel 4 has made significant changes to our schedule, including added extended news coverage, to ensure that Channel 4 is respectful following the news from Buckingham Palace about the death of Her Majesty The Queen.

“Channel 4 exists to offer viewers an alternative and that is particularly important at times like this.

“Gogglebox is a much loved national institution and it will air as planned tonight bringing a valuable sense of continuity for many of our viewers.”

2.34pm

2.31pm

Radio 2’s Live In Leeds event will not take place next weekend, the BBC has announced.

A statement said: “Following the very sad news of the death of Her Majesty The Queen, as a mark of respect, BBC Radio 2 Live in Leeds will now not take place on Saturday 17th and Sunday 18th September.

“Ticket holders will be issued with refunds via the ticketing provider”.

2.26pm

Charles Leclerc finished ahead of Carlos Sainz as Ferrari led the way in opening practice for the Italian Grand Prix – after Formula One observed a one-minute silence in memory of Her Majesty The Queen.

2.23pm

There were cheers from the crowd as the King’s state Bentley arrived at the gates of Buckingham Palace.

He stepped from the car to greet hundreds of well-wishers gathered outside.

Charles shook hands with members of the public lined up behind a barrier, thanking them for their good wishes.

The Royal Standard was also raised above the Palace for the first time of the King’s reign.

2.15pm

The King has arrived at Buckingham Palace for the first time as monarch.

He is greeting members of the public gathered outside.

2.12pm

Sisters Kate Gavljak, 42, and Sarah Botting, 38, described the Queen as “Britain’s trump card” as they queued to get access to Friday’s service at St Paul’s Cathedral.

“Other people may have fancier fireworks, but we have the Queen and that’s untouchable,” Ms Gavljak, from Sydney, Australia, told the PA news agency.

“She was Britain’s trump card.”

The service is due to start at 6pm.

2.10pm

The new King will be formally proclaimed monarch at a historic Accession Council in the State Apartments of St James’s Palace at 10am on Saturday as the ceremony is televised for the first time.

A Principal Proclamation will be read in public for the first time by the Garter King of Arms in the open air from the balcony overlooking Friary Court at St James’s an hour later at 11am.

It will be followed by a flurry of Proclamations around the country, with the second one at City of London at the Royal Exchange at midday on Saturday, and further Proclamations in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales at midday on Sunday.

Buckingham Palace issued details of the arrangements, considered the first official orders of business of a new reign, on Friday.

2.07pm

The Queen was “frail” but in “good spirits” when PA photographer Jane Barlow took the last public pictures of her.

She had been dispatched to Balmoral to capture the moment when the monarch met the new prime minister, formally appointing Liz Truss to her new role.

While waiting for the Conservative leader to arrive at the Queen’s Highland retreat, Barlow took some portraits.

In true British style there was small talk about the weather, with dark skies and heavy rain overhead for much of the day.

But Barlow, who has been a staff photographer with the PA news agency in Scotland for six years, said of the Queen: “I got a lot of smiles from her.”

2.06pm

Cricket will resume on Saturday, including the men’s Test between England and South Africa and the women’s T20 between England and India, the England and Wales Cricket Board has announced.

2.02pm

Mourners have been signing a book condolence at Canterbury Cathedral in Kent.

2pm

Home Secretary Suella Braverman said the Queen’s “devotion was total and offers an enduring example of the importance of commitment and duty”.

“I share the profound sadness expressed by the Prime Minister, and felt across the Commonwealth and throughout the whole world, at the death of Her Majesty the Queen,” Ms Braverman said in a statement.

“She is one of the greatest figures in global history. Her devotion was total and offers an enduring example of the importance of commitment and duty.

“Stories of her wisdom and kindness abound. My thoughts are with the whole of the Royal Family.

“I know that many people will want to show their love and gratitude over the coming days by attending the many events held to celebrate her life.”

1.58pm

Sir Nicholas Soames, a friend of the King, said Charles “has backbone and he’s going to need it”.

Asked if he had spoken to the King since the news of the Queen’s death, he told BBC Radio 4’s World at One programme: “I haven’t spoken to him and I don’t intend to try and disturb him at this time.

“But I mean, you know, I think that the prince has backbone and he’s going to need it.

“And this is clearly a time at which all that is going to be tested. But I think there is security in (that) all this will have been rigidly planned.

“I mean, you will find that the whole thing goes like clockwork. It will all have been planned for a very long time.”

1.54pm

King Charles III and the new Queen have been pictured arriving at RAF Northolt in London.

They are heading towards Buckingham Palace.

Police stopped traffic in West End Road as a convoy of four black cars, a black van and a police car exited the air base.

The King waved to the crowd, which had gathered outside the exit, as his car passed by.

The sun shone as onlookers waved back at the King and filmed him on their phones.

The crowd has dispersed and few people remain outside RAF Northolt.

1.52pm

Conservative former leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith looked emotional as he delivered a poem inspired by W H Auden’s Funeral Blues, telling the Commons: “Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone, prevent the dogs from barking with a juicy bone, silence the pianos and with muffled drum bring out the coffin, let the mourners come.

“She was our north, our south, our east and west, our working week and our Sunday rest, our noon, our midnight, our talk, our song, we thought that love would last for ever: we were wrong.”

Sir Iain earlier recalled meeting the Queen shortly after he was given the boot as Tory leader in 2003, joking about the party’s leadership changes: “It happens quite a lot, really, I think she was pretty used to it.”

1.50pm

The plane carrying the King landed at RAF Northolt in west London at 1.35pm.

A group of more than 100 people assembled to watch him land in England for the first time as king.

The group is now waiting at the gates of the RAF base for the monarch.

Two police helicopters are also circling the base.

1.48pm

The Archbishop of York recalled laughing with the Queen over a “fiendishly difficult” jigsaw they attempted together at Sandringham.

The Most Rev Stephen Cottrell said the monarch had been “very good at putting people at their ease”.

He told BBC Radio 4’s World At One programme: “When I stayed with her at Sandringham on the Sunday evening when all the other guests had gone home and the bishop always traditionally stays on, we sat and did a jigsaw and watched the telly and talked very ordinarily about stuff.”

The puzzle was “fiendishly difficult”, he said, remarking: “I’ve never attempted one like it.”

He added: “When the evening came to a close and she said to me, ‘Well, I’m going to put the dogs out now, will you still be here when I get back, bishop?’, I said to her, ‘Well, it depends how long you’re going to be’.

He said the Queen said she would be about 10 minutes, to which he replied: “Well, if when you get back, I’m not here, I’ve gone to bed. If the jigsaw isn’t here, it’s because I’ve thrown it into the fire because I’ve never, ever attempted such a difficult one’.”

“And we laughed,” he reflected.

1.43pm

The plane carrying the King and new Queen was watched by more than 150,000 people on a flight tracking website as it landed.

According to FlightRadar24, 153,000 users were tracking flight KRH20R as it touched down at RAF Northolt at 1.35pm.

The Embraer Legacy 600 jet spent an hour and five minutes in the air, having left Aberdeen at 12.30pm.

1.36pm

A plane carrying the King has landed at RAF Northolt in west London.