King Charles III was met with cheers and kisses from thousands of well-wishers at Buckingham Palace on Friday as he arrived for the first time in his new role.
Huge crowds gathered at the palace, many of whom laid flowers in tribute to the Queen, to receive the King and Queen Consort, Camilla, as he arrived at the palace.
Dressed in black, the couple arrived by car in front of the palace, and got out and greeted crowds, the new king shaking the hands of some. One woman leaned over to kiss Charles’s right hand while another kissed him on the cheek.
The couple looked at the bouquets of flowers lining the gates before walking into the palace for the first time since the Queen’s death.
During the 96-gun salute at Hyde Park, which was audible outside the palace, the crowd spontaneously fell into silence. The only sound for much of it was the gentle shuffling of shoes.
Among the crowd was Dior Mabellan, 43, who wore heart-shaped sunglasses, a black netted veil and a long ruffled dress, brought with her two pink roses that her seven-year-old son James picked especially at their home in Greenwich on Friday morning.
“The Queen was such a role model to me,” she said. “And she was just somebody who went through a lot and was still there for everyone.”
Mabellan, who is from Cameroon and is a carer for her son, who is autistic and nonverbal, added: “She was so, so loved there. People think she’s just the Queen of England but actually she was the Queen of everyone.”
When she heard the news she was shocked and emotional. “I have to say I dropped a tear. She wasn’t my mum, but I feel like we’re all connected to her. I was quite sad.”
Support worker Bernadette Arthur, 31, came to the palace from Croydon with her family to lay a picture that her daughter, Nelly, five, had drawn of the Queen, of whom she was a big fan. Nelly said the Queen was “a good boss”. “I liked her because she was so nice.”
Florence, 25, Bernadette’s sister, who is studying social work, added: “It’s quite sad. She’s all most of us have ever known.”
Anna Lyly, 45, and Susanna Havukainen, 44, old school friends from Finland who live in London, were also among the crowds.
Lyly, a buyer, who had with her a bouquet that was “as colourful as her outfits”, said she appreciated the Queen’s “grace, dignity and great sense of humour”. Havukainen, who works in marketing, added: “We were here together three months ago for the jubilee, so we had to come again today.”
Father and daughter Ali and Lina Kharkhach, who were visiting the UK from Lyon, France, said it was special to witness the emotion of people.
Ali, 47, an IT manager from Morocco, showed a picture on his phone of the Queen with the King of Morocco, saying she was “indefatigable, charismatic” and he liked her sense of humour. “I like that she didn’t take herself too seriously. Like when she appeared with James Bond at the Olympics.”
His 18-year-old daughter, who is soon to start university in London, said the Queen was an “icon”. She added: “It’s really amazing to us. To see [how people have reacted] it took to my heart.”
Mother and daughter Sarah and Helena Bullen, 56 and 17, travelled from Brighton to pay their respects.
Sixth-form student Helena, whose Instagram Stories was full of posts about the Queen’s death on Thursday, said she was sad when she heard the news. “She’s been going for so long that I didn’t really expect her not to be on the throne. I’ve always just seen her and expected her to be there.”
They were among many mothers and daughters in the crowds. Nina Martinez, 52, and Yvonne Garlinge, 76, who remembers attending a street party for the Queen’s coronation as a child, travelled from Sidcup, Kent, to lay flowers.
“She’s seen so many changes,” Garlinge, who is retired, said. “It feels important. This will never happen again. Never ever will there be a reigning monarch this long ever again.”
Martinez, a charity manager and funeral celebrant, said: “It’s really hard to put into words. The service that she’s given to this country, the Commonwealth, around the world is just phenomenal.”
Vidur Dindayal, 87, who is retired and lives in Streatham, said he grew up with the Queen. “When we were little children we saw her photographed. Obviously it’s sad but I have a philosophical view of passing away at my age.”
Jackie and John Rout, from Lewes, came with their cavapoo Mason, who was one of many dogs visiting the palace.
“We felt we had to come,” said Jackie, 63, a dental radiologist. “We got on the train and just came and put some flowers down. It’s a small thing to do in return for what she did for all her years of her life.”
She added: “There’s such an atmosphere here. I’ve never felt it like this. It’s very peaceful. Incredibly moving actually.”
