The nation’s new monarch King Charles III has been formally declared head of state during a historic ceremony at St James’s Palace in London.

The Accession Council attended by privy counsellors, including the Queen, the new Prince of Wales and the Prime Minister was televised for the first time.

King Charles III and the Queen with the new Duke of Wales during the Accession Council at St James’s Palace
King Charles III and the Queen with the new Prince of Wales during the Accession Council at St James’s Palace (Victoria Jones/PA)
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The Queen is also a privy counsellor (Jonathan Brady/PA)
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Privy counsellors, from left, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer, former prime ministers Tony Blair, Gordon Brown, Boris Johnson, David Cameron, Theresa May and John Major stand ahead of the King’s arrival (Kirsty O’Connor/PA)
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Former prime ministers Theresa May and John Major, with Commonwealth secretary-general Baroness Scotland arriving (Joe Giddens/PA)
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Crowds gather outside the palace to witness the proclamation (Richard Heathcote/PA)
BMW PGA Championship 2022 – Day Three – Wentworth Golf Club
The ceremony was watched around the country, with golf spectators at the PGA Championship at Wentworth Golf Club able to view it on the big screens around the course (Adam Davy/PA)
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A Pikeman of the Honourable Artillery Company stands outside the Royal Exchange in the City of London, before the reading of the Proclamation of Accession there (James Manning/PA)
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The proclamation will be repeated on Sunday in other cities (James Manning/PA)