Crowd gathers at Kenilworth Castle for town's proclamation of the accession of King Charles III

A crowd gathered at Kenilworth Castle yesterday (Sunday September 11) for the reading of the proclamation of accession of King Charles III following the death of Queen Elizabeth II last week.

The proclamation was read out in the grounds of the castle by Kenilworth Mayor Cllr Samantha Louden-Cooke.

Before the reading, Cllr Cooke paid tribute to the Queen for her service as the longest reigning UK monarch and then explained the reason for the ceremony – the type of which took place across the UK.

Cllr Louden-Cooke said: “Yesterday the Accession Council met at St James’s Palace to declare our new sovereign.

"The flags which had flown at half mast since the queen’s death were raised briefly to their full height to mark the start of His Majesty’s reign.

"The Accession Council also made an order requiring High Sheriffs to cause the proclamation to be read in the areas of their derestriction.

"The High Sheriff of Warwickshire discharged that duty earlier today and now, with my humble duty, I bring the words of the proclamation to the citizens of Kenilworth”.

The proclamation of the new sovereign is a very old tradition which can be traced back over many centuries.

The ceremony does not create a new king, it is simply an announcement of the accession, which took place immediately on the death of Queen Elizabeth II.

Cllr Louden-Cooke said: “In an age where modern methods of communication can send messages around the globe in an instant the proclamation is no longer how people learn for the first time that they have a new monarch.

"However, today is one of the first occasions to come together and reflect on a moment in our nation’s history on the moment when our longest serving monarch came to an end and our new sovereign succeeded.”

The proclamation was as follows: Whereas it has pleased Almighty God to call to His Mercy our late Sovereign Lady Queen Elizabeth the Second of Blessed and Glorious Memory, by whose Decease the Crown of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland issolely and rightfully come to The Prince Charles Philip Arthur George: We, therefore, the Lords Spiritual and Temporal of this Realm and Members of the House of Commons, together with other members of Her late Majesty’s Privy Council and representatives of the Realms and Territories, Aldermen and Citizens of London, and others, do now hereby with one voice and Consent of Tongue and Heart publish and proclaim that The Prince Charles Philip Arthur George is now, by the Death of our late Sovereign of Happy Memory, become our only lawful and rightful Liege Lord Charles the Third, by the Grace of God of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and of His other Realms and Territories, King, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith, to whom we do acknowledge all Faith and Obedience with humble Affection; beseeching God by whom Kings and Queens do reign to bless His Majesty with long and happy Years to reign over us.

Given at St. James’s Palace this tenth day of September in the year of Our Lord twenty thousand and twenty-two.