What we learned today, Saturday 10 September
We will close this blog now. Thank you all for your company and correspondence today.
As we leave, a summary of what’s happened on a day of mostly quiet formality as Australia spent its first day since 1952 without Queen Elizabeth II as its head of state. The first full day of the reign of the King of Australia, Charles III.
The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, led parliamentary and diplomatic figures in laying a wreath for the Queen at Parliament House. He said the Queen had been an “absolute inspiration”.
Albanese spoke with the UK prime minister, Liz Truss, and discussed the “depth of mourning that is occurring in the United Kingdom” and conveyed Australia’s sadness.
The AFLW won’t have a minute’s silence for games in its Indigenous round this weekend. The AFL said it would move its Brownlow medal event to avoid a clash with the Queen’s funeral.
At 10am in London today (7pm in Canberra), King Charles III will attend a ceremony of the Accession Council at St James’s Palace to be formally proclaimed king.
At noon on Sunday, the governor general, David Hurley, will issue a formal proclamation of the death of Queen Elizabeth, and the accession of King Charles.
Australians continued to mourn the loss of the Queen, placing flowers at government buildings.
In state parliaments, Victoria confirmed it would join other states in adjourning for a week to honour the Queen. The federal parliament is suspended for 15 days.
Newspapers devoted their front pages to commemorate the death of the Queen, and the ABC continued with special TV programming.
Updated
All public transport will be free tomorrow so people can travel to Sydney to witness the historic proclamation of His Majesty The King.
— Dom Perrottet (@Dom_Perrottet) September 10, 2022
The ceremony will be held outside NSW Parliament House tomorrow, commencing at 12.30pm.
Everyone is welcomed and encouraged to attend.
