• 8 a.m. (Paris time): the day after the death of Elizabeth II, a day of mourning opens in the United Kingdom

A period of national mourning began Friday in the United Kingdom until the funeral of Elizabeth II, scheduled in ten days.

Department stores have decided to keep their doors closed, railway and postal workers have suspended their strikes against the cost of living crisis, a portrait of the monarch has been displayed in bus shelters... At the same time, hundreds of Britons have began to flock to Buckingham Palace in London and Windsor Castle, located not far from the capital, to pay tribute to the late queen.

Bus shelters in London display portraits of Queen Elizabeth II the day after her death on September 9, 2022. © Lesley Martin, AFP

Onlookers gather outside Buckingham Palace in London on September 9, 2022. © Daniel Leal, AFP

  • 12:30 p.m.: ten hours of tribute and meditation at the British Parliament

The British government observed a moment of contemplation after an extraordinary Council of Ministers.

Shortly after, in Parliament, the deputies gathered from 12 p.m. to pay tribute to the monarch.

This extraordinary ten-hour session was broadcast live on the BBC.

Outside Parliament, British Prime Minister Liz Truss, dressed in black, hailed "one of the greatest leaders the world has ever known" and "the greatest diplomat" of the United Kingdom.

"Her words of wisdom gave us strength in the most trying times. During the darkest times of the pandemic, she gave us hope that we would meet again," said the head of government.

Liz Truss addresses Parliament to pay tribute to Elizabeth II during an extraordinary session, September 9, 2022. AP

"She was the rock on which modern Britain was built"



UK Prime Minister Liz Truss pays tribute to Queen Elizabeth II, calling her "one of the greatest leaders the world has ever known"https://t.co/dhbqfe9lNu pic.twitter .com/Qxfslt3ZRW

— BBC News (UK) (@BBCNews) September 9, 2022

  • 1 p.m.: Church bells ring out across the country

At 12 p.m. (1 p.m. in Paris), church bells rang across the UK in tribute to Queen Elizabeth II.

Those of Saint Paul's Cathedral and Westminster Abbey in London, as well as those of Windsor Castle, were particularly animated.

Following the death of Queen Elizabeth II, the Abbey's tenor bell is tolling once every minute for the next hour.



The tenor bell is the largest of the Abbey's ten bells and is traditionally tolled upon the death of a member of the Royal Family.

pic.twitter.com/utc9t7uICh

— Westminster Abbey (@wabbey) September 9, 2022

  • 2 p.m.: 96

    cannon shots for 96

    years of life

Cannons were then fired across the UK, from London to Belfast.

A total of 96 shots rang out, notably in the capital at Hyde Park and the Tower of London, but also at the English prehistoric site of Stonehenge or in the enclave of Gibraltar, in southern Spain, in reference to the age of the monarch.

16:02

© France 24

  • 3 p.m.: Charles III and Camilla given a standing ovation upon their arrival at Buckingham Palace

King Charles III receives a standing ovation from thousands as he arrives outside Buckingham Palace in London with his wife Camilla.

Dressed in black, he got out of the car and shook hands for a long time, while some sang "God Save the King", the country's new anthem.

The royal standard, signaling the presence of the monarch in his principal residence, was then hoisted over the palace for the first time in his reign.

King Charles III and Queen Consort Camilla wave to the crowd outside Buckingham Palace, London, September 9, 2022. © Daniel Leal, AFP

King Charles III waves to the crowd outside Buckingham Palace, September 9, 2022. © Yui Mok, AFP

  • 5:20 p.m.: Liz Truss in audience with Charles III

In the middle of the afternoon, the palace announces that Charles III is holding his first audience with the new Prime Minister Liz Truss: for the first time in its history, the United Kingdom has changed monarch and Prime Minister in the same week .

Liz Truss arrives at Buckingham Palace to meet Charles III, September 9, 2022. © Victoria Jones, AP

  • 6 p.m.: Emotion in Balmoral, Scotland

In front of Balmoral Castle, in Scotland, a few hundred onlookers also came to lay bouquets of flowers in front of the gate.

In Edinburgh, the capital, flowers and notes were also placed in front of the Palace of Holyrood, where the body of the sovereign will be transported in the coming days before being exposed to Saint-Gilles Cathedral, in the heart of the city. .

Onlookers gather outside Balmoral Castle on September 9, 2022, after the death of Elizabeth II.

© Andy Buchanan, AFP

  • 7 p.m.: Charles III delivers his first speech as monarch

Charles III delivered his first royal speech.

Nine minutes during which he promised the British to serve them all his life, like the commitment made by Elizabeth II on her 21st birthday.

The sovereign also announced that his heir, William, would be the new Prince of Wales, expressed his "love" for his youngest son Harry and his wife Meghan, and thanked his "beloved mum".

The audio of the speech was broadcast in St. Paul's Cathedral in London, where a religious ceremony began immediately after in the presence of the Prime Minister, and where "God Save the King" was sung.

King Charles III during his first televised address as monarch, September 9, 2022. © Yui Mok, AFP

09:01

© Reuters

The summary of the

France 24 week invites you to come back to the news that marked the week

I subscribe

Take international news everywhere with you!

Download the France 24 app