KING Charles is this afternoon holding his historic first audience with Liz Truss at Buckingham Palace following the death of the Queen.
His Majesty is meeting the new Prime Minister just days after she was sworn into office by his late mother at Balmoral on Tuesday.
Liz Truss leaves Downing Street to meet the King for the first time
Liz Truss is appointed Prime Minister by the Queen on Tuesday, just two days before her death
Charles coming back to London from Scotland
Charles and Camilla, the Queen Consort, flew back from Scotland this morning to begin the period of royal mourning.
He will address the nation for the first time as King at 6pm after his audience with his first Prime Minister.
Ms Truss spoke with Charles on the phone last night after making a televised tribute on the steps of Downing Street.
They will now hold weekly audiences on Tuesday evenings at the Palace to discuss matters of state.
During her 70-year reign the Queen held these audiences with her 15 prime ministers, developing a unique relationship with them all.
In a moving day of Commons tributes, Ms Truss fondly recalled her one meeting as the Queen’s premier earlier this week.
She said: “She remained determined to carry out her duties even at the age of 96.
“It was just three days ago at Balmoral that she invited me to form a government and become her 15th Prime Minister.
“Again she generously shared with me her deep experience of government, even in those last days.”
Boris Johnson, who also saw the Queen at Balmoral on Tuesday to resign, said she was “as radiant, and as knowledgeable, and as fascinated by politics as ever I can remember.”
While the crown passed invisibly to Charles upon his mother’s death, he will officially be proclaimed King tomorrow in a televised ceremony.
Buckingham Palace today confirmed that he will take up his post as head of state at 10am tomorrow at the Accession Council.
The ceremony will take place in the State Apartments of St James’s Palace, according to officials.
Senior Ministers will swear allegiance to the King on Saturday in a rare Parliamentary weekend sitting.
Ahead of his address tonight, Charles mourned his mother in the moments after her death.
He said: “The death of my beloved Mother, Her Majesty The Queen, is a moment of the greatest sadness for me and all members of my family.
“We mourn profoundly the passing of a cherished Sovereign and a much-loved Mother. I know her loss will be deeply felt throughout the country, the Realms and the Commonwealth, and by countless people around the world.
“During this period of mourning and change, my family and I will be comforted and sustained by our knowledge of the respect and deep affection in which The Queen was so widely held.”
King Charles was already in Scotland on previous planned engagements along with his sister Princess Anne.
His helicopter was also seen landing on the grounds of Balmoral in the morning.
Camilla also travelled to the castle after cancelling an event at hospital Maggie’s in Airdrie, Lanarkshire.
Soon after, it was confirmed Prince William made his way there together with Andrew, Edward and Sophie Wessex.
Their plane, a Dassault Falcon, was spotted landing in Aberdeen shortly before 4pm.
Liz Truss sighs the No10 book of condolences
King Charles boards a flight from Aberdeen to London ahead of his meeting with Liz Truss
