Charles Shares First Official Statement as King Following the Passing of the Queen

The royal family was met with sad news early this afternoon, when Queen Elizabeth II passed away at Balmoral castle, at the age of 96. But now that the longest-reigning British monarch has passed, she will be succeeded to the throne by her son, (who is now) King Charles. And with his first official message as king, Charles made a loving tribute to his late mother.

A letter from Buckingham Palace was posted to the official royal family Instagram, along with a heading that said: “A statement from His Majesty The King at the time of the Queen's death.”

King Charles started out by saying, “The death of my beloved Mother, Her Majesty The Queen, is a moment of the greatest sadness for me and all members of my family.”

He continued, “We mourn profoundly the passing of a cherished Sovereign and a much-loved Mother. I know her loss will be deeply felt throughout the country, the Realms and the Commonwealth, and by countless people around the world.”

The new king closed his message by saying, “During this period of mourning and change, my family and I will be comforted and sustained by our knowledge of the respect and deep affection in which The Queen was so widely held.”

Queen Elizabeth was also honored on the royal family website, where they shared the same message that was posted to the royal social media accounts. “The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon,” the site read. “The King and The Queen Consort will remain at Balmoral this evening and will return to London tomorrow.” The message was also dated—Thursday, 8 September 2022.

However, the rest of the site was deactivated, along with a disclaimer that said, “The official website of the Royal Family is temporarily unavailable while appropriate changes are made.”

On Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's website for their foundation, Archewell, there was also a message dedicated to the late monarch, which said, “In Loving Memory of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.” Then, the years of her life, 1926-2022, were included at the bottom.

Beautifully said by the new king. Rest In Peace, your majesty.

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