King Charles III has arrived at Buckingham Palace for the first time as Britain’s reigning monarch.
After greeting the huge crowds of mourners, the king, 73, and his wife Camilla, the Queen Consort, entered the doors of the sprawling residence.
King Charles, who ascended the throne Thursday upon the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth, at age 96, drove up to the Palace in a motorcade with Camilla by his side.
The couple flew to London this morning from Balmoral, where members of the royal family gathered to mourn Queen Elizabeth.
Some 100 royal watchers watched the new king arrive at RAF Northolt. Folders in hand, he was quickly ushered into a waiting vehicle.
After the State Limousine arrived to cheers of “God Save the King,” King Charles shook hands with several of the hundreds of mourners gathered outside the Palace.
King Charles III and his wife Camilla, Queen Consort, are seen arriving at Buckingham Palace. Reuters
King Charles and Queen Camilla are cheered by an excited crowd. REUTERS/John Sibley
A well-wisher kisses King Charles III’s hand as he walks outside at Buckingham Palace. Yui Mok/Pool Photo via AP
King Charles arrives in London following his flight from Scotland. Getty ImagesHe even received a spontaneous kiss from one bolder member of the public.
But the king’s triumphant entrance to his new home was almost squashed when it appeared that he and Camilla did not know which door to use.
The couple skirted a crisis by quickly regaining their composure, and were photographed poignantly entering the Palace for the first time as King and Queen Consort.
Thousands of people crowd around Buckingham Palace to meet King Charles III. Reuters
King Charles III and his wife Camilla walk by a sea of flowers paying tribute to the late Queen Elizabeth II. Reuters
King Charles III’s motorcade arrives at Buckingham Palace. Reuters
King Charles III and Queen Camilla walk into Buckingham Palace in London. REUTERS/John Sibley
King Charles III and Queen Consort Camilla wave as they greet Britons. DANIEL LEAL/AFP via Getty Images
King Charles III reacts to thousands of flowers laid in tribute to the late Queen Elizabeth II. Samir Hussein/WireImage
King Charles III and Camilla, the Queen Consort, are protected by security. AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth
Thousands gather for the arrival of King Charles III and Camilla, the Queen Consort at Buckingham Palace. Getty Images
King Charles III and Camilla, the Queen Consort, view floral tributes to the late Queen Elizabeth II outside Buckingham Palace. Getty Images
Spectators emotionally react to meeting King Charles III. Yui Mok/Pool Photo via AP
Camilla, the Queen Consort, happily greets spectators in the crowd. AFP via Getty ImagesThe new king does not have much time to settle into his new home: he is expected to meet with Prime Minister Liz Truss prior to his pre-recorded address to the nation at 6 p.m. local time.Although he succeeded his mother to the throne immediately following her death, the king’s reign will not officially begin until tomorrow, when the Accession Council is scheduled to meet at St. James’s Palace.
Earlier today, Clarence House confirmed that the ceremony would be televised for the first time in history.
King Charles’s arrival at the Palace marks the latest update in a whirlwind of change and uncertainty as Britain grapples with the loss of its longest-reigning monarch. In a statement released yesterday, Charles said “We mourn profoundly the passing of a cherished Sovereign and a much-loved Mother.”
