How to watch King Charles III’s Accession Council? Is it on TV channels including BBC and Sky News?

King Charles III will formerly be proclaimed the new monarch
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The moment that Britain’s next monarch is formally proclaimed King will be televised for the first time.

Charles automatically became King on the death of his mother, but the Accession Council, attended by Privy Councillors, will confirm his role on Saturday morning.

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The new monarch will not attend the ceremony, held at the State Apartments of St James’s Palace, only joining after he has been proclaimed monarch, at 10am, to hold his first Privy Council meeting.

It is set to be televised for the first time in history.

Here is all you need to know:

Can you watch the Accession Council?

The event will be broadcast live for the first time in British history.

Queen Elizabeth II’s Accession Council was not televised in 1952.

However, Buckingham Palace confirmed that TV cameras would be allowed inside the State Apartments of St James’s Palace today (10 September).

How can you watch the Accession Council?

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It will be shown on BBC, Sky News and other new channels on Saturday morning.

The event will begin at 10am and a Principal Proclamation will be read at 11am, after the King has been formally confirmed.

Viewers will be able to watch on BBC’s iPlayer.

King Charles III delivers his address to the nation and the Commonwealth from Buckingham Palace. Picture: Yui Mok/Pool/GettyKing Charles III delivers his address to the nation and the Commonwealth from Buckingham Palace. Picture: Yui Mok/Pool/Getty
King Charles III delivers his address to the nation and the Commonwealth from Buckingham Palace. Picture: Yui Mok/Pool/Getty

What will happen at the Accession Council?

During the event the Lord President will announce the death of the sovereign and call upon the Clerk of the Council to read aloud the text of the Accession Proclamation.

It will include Charles’s chosen title as King, already known to be King Charles III.

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The Palace said: “His Majesty The King will be proclaimed at the Accession Council at 10.00hrs (on Saturday) in the State Apartments of St James’s Palace, London.

“The Accession Council, attended by Privy Councillors, is divided into two parts.

“In Part I, the Privy Council, without The King present, will proclaim the Sovereign, and formally approve various consequential Orders, including the arrangements for the Proclamation.

“Part II, is the holding by The King of His Majesty’s first Privy Council.

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“The King will make his Declaration and read and sign an oath to uphold the security of the Church in Scotland and approve Orders in Council which facilitate continuity of government.”

Who will attend the Accession Council?

Privy Councillors as well as a platform party, made up of Camilla, William, the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Lord Chancellor, the Archbishop of York, the Prime Minister, the Lord Privy Seal, the Lord Great Chamberlain, the Earl Marshal and the Lord President, will attend the event at the State Apartments.

King Charles III will not attend the first part of the ceremony, only arriving after he has been proclaimed monarch.

What happens after?

At 11am a Principal Proclamation will be read in public for the first time by the Garter King of Arms in the open air from the balcony overlooking Friary Court at St James’s.

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It will be followed by a flurry of Proclamations around the country, with the second one at City of London at the Royal Exchange at midday on Saturday, and further Proclamations in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales at midday on Sunday.

In recognition of the new Sovereign, union flags will be flown at full-mast from the time of the Principal Proclamation at St James’s Palace until one hour after the Proclamations in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales, after which flags will return to half-mast in mourning for the death of the late Queen.

The ceremony is being staged a day later for King Charles III then normal practice because the announcement of the Queen’s death did not come until early evening on Thursday, meaning there was not enough time to set the plans in motion for Friday morning.

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