WATCH: King Charles III makes his first address as monarch, expresses affection for his late mother
King Charles III
In a solemn speech to the country on Friday, King Charles of Britain vowed to emulate his mother Queen Elizabeth by dedicating himself to duty and expressed his love for her, his wife, and their children.
After Elizabeth passed away at her home in Scotland on Thursday at the age of 96, Charles became king. He arrived in London by plane on Friday, when he made his inaugural statement as a royal while being filmed at Buckingham Palace.
"Queen Elizabeth was a life well lived; a promise with destiny kept and she is mourned most deeply in her passing," the king said in the opening moments of his address, which he delivered with a photograph of her displayed next to him.
"That promise of lifelong service I renew to you all today."
Charles praised the late queen's tremendous personal devotion to serving the people of the United Kingdom and her other kingdoms, describing her as an inspiration and an example to him.
"In her life of service we saw that abiding love of tradition, together with that fearless embrace of progress, which make us great as nations," he said.
"As every member of my family can testify, she combined those qualities with warmth, humour and an unerring ability to always see the best in people."
Charles expressed his extreme grief over losing his mother and said he felt it "beyond measure."
The new king or queen also lauded Camilla, referring to her as his "darling wife," adding that she would fulfil the obligations of her new position as Queen Consort with the same unwavering devotion to duty that he had grown to rely on since they wed 17 years ago.
After Diana, a well-known celebrity from whom he divorced in 1992 and died in a car accident five years later, Camilla is Charles' second wife.
Camilla, who Diana blamed for the breakdown of the marriage, was extremely unpopular for years, but during the years of her marriage to Charles, the British public has come to tolerate, if not adore, her.
The titles of Prince and Princess of Wales, which he and Diana previously held, were given to Charles' oldest son and heir William and his daughter-in-law Kate.
A important gesture towards a couple whose relationships with the rest of the royal family have been strained was made by Charles when he talked adoringly of his younger son Harry and daughter-in-law Meghan.
"I want to also express my love for Harry and Meghan as they continue to build their lives overseas," he said.
In 2020, Harry and Meghan, a former TV actress from the United States, left their royal responsibilities and relocated to California. They have talked about Meghan's discontent and loneliness while she was a working royal.
(With inputs from agencies)
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