This blog will focus on the continuing reign of King Charles III starting in September 2022 when his beloved mother passed away.
I will go through the process of how he became king and through my research will also look at how he handled his emotions during that time. There is also one person who has helped him through his reign and that person will be mentioned a lot in this blog too.
September 7th 2022- (The Following source came from Robert Hardman’s book that was released this year)
The late queen’s health started to deteriorate at balmoral while her heir was down at Dumfries house. By that time he knew that his mother’s health was declining and they were debating whether they should send him up to balmoral.
Charles’s sister Princess Anne The Princess Royal was already at balmoral and has been communicating with her elder brother throughout the day. They in the end decided not to take him to balmoral that day as they didn’t want to cause any speculation.
He carried on with his meetings at Dumfries house as usual. There was a video released that same day and it showed the then prince looking visibly tired and anxious. Something was obviously going on behind the scenes.
September 8th 2022-
The then Duchess Of Cornwall was due at Dumfries house for an interview that morning. The people who interviewed her were setting up the appropriate equipment to interview her. When suddenly there was a phone call and Charles’s protection officer came into the room and politely asked them to quieten down as the prince was on the phone.
The interviewer then said that there was a lot of rushing and the helicopter took off. They were then told that the interview had to be cancelled.
Charles was by his mothers side with Camilla hours before she passed. He was told to call his siblings Edward and Andrew to make it up to Scotland along with his two sons William and Harry to come to say their goodbyes.
After he contacted everyone he and Camilla went back to their Scottish home Birkhall. He went out to pick mushrooms to clear his head. His security team wanted him to be on his own for a while so they were about so they can see him but kept a distance.
Suddenly one of his security personnel had a phone call from balmoral saying that his mother was at her final moments. The protection officer was the one who broke the news to him.
Heartbreakingly he didn’t make it to his mother’s bedside in time. She passed away at 3:10pm.
Charles was told on his way up to balmoral castle, a phone rang and his private secretary told him to pull over. His private secretary was the one who took the call. Charles knew his mother had died with his private secretary saying two words to him “Your Majesty” the people in the car including the new Queen told him how sorry they are. Before he drove towards balmoral.
Princess Anne was waiting by the entrance of balmoral for her brother the new king to arrive.
The new king had a lot of things to do including telling family members of the late queens death. He first had to let his heir William know first. When he called him Charles had to ask the switch board operator who he had to speak to. He also couldn’t say that he was king either so he simply said “It’s me”
Charles and Camilla along with William after he’d arrived and seen his grandmother went back up to Birkhall for dinner and to discuss things.
He and Camilla would return to London the next day to start the various events that would define his reign.
September 9th 2022:
The new king and queen left balmoral for a week of engagements. When they arrived in London they were greeted with huge crowds who were cheering them and singing God Save The King. He met with the crowd with his darling wife and people were expressing their condolences to him and camilla.
In the book by Robert Hardman the queen’s friends recalled her experience when the crowd. One lady told Camilla to “Look after him” meaning that she had to look after her husband and she said “I will I promise”
It was time for him to address the nation for the first time as King. His speech was absolutely beautiful, Charles has a way with words. He paid tribute to his mother, “Queen Elizabeth’s was a life well lived” and “She made sacrifices for duty”
He also pledged his life to “Serve you with loyalty, respect and love as I have throughout my life.”
He also spoke about his beloved wife Camilla “I count on the loving help of my darling wife Camilla. In recognition of her own loyal public service since our marriage 17 years ago. She becomes my Queen Consort. I know she will bring to the demands of her new role the steadfast devotion to duty of which I have come to rely so much.”
He also announced that His heir William becomes the Prince Of Wales. He and Catherine became Prince and Princess Of Wales.
The address was moving and emotional. By the end of the address he had tears in his eyes as he says “And 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.” He ended the address by saying “May flights of angels sing thee to thy rest”.
Buckingham palace released a behind the scenes video of the new king after the address. He looked absolutely heartbroken with tears surfacing as he thanked the people who filmed the address.
His beloved wife Camilla was also in the same room as him, she was sat in the corner of the room while he addressed the nation. He wasn’t able to see her because Camilla said that she didn’t want him to be set off by seeing herself in tears. After the address was filmed she got up and went and moved to his side and gave him a hug and told him that he did really really well.
Later in the week was the proclamation of the new King Charles III. Accompanying him was his son and heir William and his darling wife Camilla. He was obviously heartbroken but he was soo incredibly strong.
Through his heartbreak and devastation he had his strength and stay by his side every step of the way. Camilla was there the whole time. She really really helped him through his grief. If in any doubt that he did break down in public she was always there. She is his rock.
The funeral was very beautiful and moving. We saw the king lead the way at the funeral. God Save The King was played twice in both services where he did really struggle. He also had a very important role in the funeral in the Committal service by placing the company camp colour on his mother’s coffin. The company camp colour traditionally locates the commanding officer.
After the committal service, The King and Queen and the rest of the royal family went back to Windsor castle to the King George VI memorial chapel where The Late Queen and The Late Duke Of Edinburgh are both buried. This was a very private burial with just the close members of the royal family. So they can have some privacy and just let all of their emotions out.
The King and Queen after the burial was over flew back up to balmoral castle where she passed to continue grieving in private.
Still mourning the death of his beloved mother. He had to start planning for his coronation and what happens next.
