King Charles III is receiving the motion of condolence at Westminster Hall today - and sat on his throne for the first time as the monarch along with Queen Camilla. After the death of Queen Elizabeth II on Thursday, the former Prince of Wales was formally proclaimed monarch at the Accession Council on Saturday.
The new King and his wife took their seats while the Speaker of the House of Lords pledged his loyalty and shared the "deep sympathy" that Parliament felt over the royal family's grief. Their thrones are almost identical but the one used by the Queen consort is an inch shorter to indicate their respective roles.
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The King quoted Shakespeare in a tribute to the Queen as he addressed Parliament for the first time since becoming monarch, saying: "As Shakespeare said of the earlier Queen Elizabeth, she was a pattern to all princes living."
Addressing members of both Houses of Parliament, the King said the late Queen "set an example of selfless duty which, with God’s help and your counsels, I am resolved faithfully to follow".
He said: "As I stand before you today I cannot help but feel the weight of history which surrounds us and which reminds us of the vital Parliamentary traditions to which members of both Houses dedicate yourselves with such personal commitment for the betterment of us all.
"The tangible connections to my darling late mother we see all around us, from the fountain in New Palace Yard which commemorates the late Queen’s silver jubilee, to the sundial in Old Palace Yard for the golden jubilee.
"The magnificent stained glass window before me for the diamond jubilee and so poignantly, and yet to be formally unveiled, your most generous gift to her late Majesty to mark the unprecedented Platinum Jubilee which we celebrated only three months ago with such joyful hearts."
He added: "As I stand before you today I cannot help but feel the weight of history which surrounds us and which reminds us of the vital Parliamentary traditions to which members of both Houses dedicate yourselves with such personal commitment for the betterment of us all.
"Parliament is the living and breathing instrument of our democracy."
It was the first time we've seen Charles actually on a throne, as he didn't sit on the empty one behind him when he was formally proclaimed King at the Accession Council at St. James' Palace on Saturday morning.
More than 200 privy councillors, made up of mostly senior politicians past and present including former prime ministers, were present to hear the Clerk of the Council read the proclamation.
Also present were Queen Consort Camilla and heir to the throne Prince William. However, many people were confused as to why the new King did not sit on the throne.
Instead, King Charles stood up while making a personal declaration on the death of the Queen.
"I know how deeply you and the entire nation, and I think I may say the whole world, sympathise with me in this irreparable loss we have all suffered," he said.
Charles then sat down on a very fancy looking chair to sign the official declaration, following a tradition that goes back centuries by using the signature 'Charles R' for the first time.
The Queen used the signature 'Elizabeth R' on official documents, which actually stands for 'regina' and means 'queen' in Latin, so Charles does the same as it also stands for 'rex', or King.
The reason why King Charles wasn't on the throne is that Privy Council affairs are always done standing up - and there is no exception for the monarch.
A second motive was to speed the process up and make sure that the proceedings don't run on for too long.
A Debrett's spokesperson explained to The Mirror: "All Privy Council business is conducted standing up and even the King stands. Apparently it's to keep things short."
The new King has a busy few days ahead, as he is now preparing to embark on a tour of the country in the days before the funeral to meet his new subjects as millions around Britain unite in their sorrow.
After receiving the motion of condolence at Westminster Hall, Charles will start his UK tour with a visit to the Scottish parliament and a service at St Giles Cathedral in Edinburgh.
Tuesday will see the King arrive in Northern Ireland, where he will receive another motion of condolence at Hillsborough Castle and attend a service at St Anne's Cathedral in Belfast.
He will then travel to Wales on Friday to receive another motion of condolence at the Welsh parliament and attend a service at Llandaff Cathedral in Cardiff.
On Friday evening, King Charles addressed the nation for the first time in an emotional pre-recorded video message.
The new monarch covered a range of topics during his six-minute speech, which was incredibly well received by the public and left some in tears.
The King announced that William and his wife, Kate Middleton, would become the new Prince and Princess of Wales, as well as praising his wife and new Queen Consort Camilla.
He also sent love to his youngest son and his wife Meghan Markle, saying: "I want also to express my love for Harry and Meghan as they continue to build their lives overseas."
The biggest tribute was obviously for his "darling mama" and his late father Prince Philip.
Charles ended his speech by saying: "As you begin your last great journey to join my dear late Papa, I want simply to say this: thank you.
"Thank you for your love and devotion to our family and to the family of nations you have served so diligently all these years. May 'flights of Angels sing thee to thy rest'."
* This weekend, the Daily Mirror and Sunday Mirror celebrate the life of Her Majesty the Queen with a commemorative special filled with all the key moments from Britain’s longest reigning monarch. Be sure to pick up your copy of the Daily Mirror and Sunday Mirror to get poth pullouts.
You can leave your tributes to Queen Elizabeth II here
