A proclamation of the accession of His Majesty King Charles III took place in Nottingham today, Sunday 11 September.
Crowds gathered in the city’s Old Market Square to hear the Lord Mayor of Nottingham, Cllr Wendy Smith, read the formal proclamation. Joining her at the ceremony in front of the Council House were Sir John Peace, the Lord Lieutenant of Nottinghamshire; the High Sheriff of Nottinghamshire, Paul Southby; City Council Leader, Cllr David Mellen; Sheriff of Nottingham, Cllr Nicola Heaton and other special dignitaries.
The Lord Mayor said at the ceremony: “Our sadness at this time is shared by people across the globe, as we remember with affection and gratitude the lifetime of service given by Queen Elizabeth II, our longest-reigning Monarch.
“The basis on which our monarchy is built has ensured that through the centuries the Crown has passed in an unbroken line of succession. Today’s ceremony marks the formal Proclamation to the people of Nottingham of the beginning of our new King’s reign.
“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 the reigning monarch.
“In an age where modern methods of communication convey news around the globe in an instant, the proclamation is no longer the means by which people learn for the first time that they have a new Monarch. Today, however, is one of the first occasions when communities have an opportunity to come together and reflect on the moment in our nation’s history when the reign of our longest-serving Monarch came to an end and our new Sovereign succeeded.”
Flags which had been flying at half-mast following the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, have been raised to full-mast for the two days of national and local proclamations yesterday and today before returning to half-mast until 8am the day after the funeral.