A year of King Charles III: a look back on the first 12 months of his reign since Queen Elizabeth II’s death

The day is September 8, 2022, and the world is mourning as Britain’s longest-reigning monarch passes at the age of 96. 

It’s a day we all knew would come but a day that carried a magnitude that few would have felt before. It is estimated that mourning and funeral costs totalled around £162 million

After more than 70 years, Queen Elizabeth II’s reign was over. But amid the solemn and sad events that surrounded her state funeral, a new era was beginning.

The Queen’s eldest son, Charles, formerly the Prince of Wales, would now assume the throne as King Charles III.

It’s hard to believe that a whirlwind 12 months has passed since that day. And Charles was kept busy during that period with many engagements, formal ceremonies, and drama within the royal family.

To mark the anniversary of his ascension to the throne, NationalWorld is taking a look back at a year of Charles III’s reign.

First speech as King

Following the sad death of his mother - marking the end of her reign - King Charles gave his first public address the following day on September 9, 2022.

The King said: "Queen Elizabeth’s was a life well lived; a promise with destiny kept and she is mourned most deeply in her passing.

"As The Queen herself did with such unswerving devotion, I too now solemnly pledge myself, throughout the remaining time God grants me, to uphold the Constitutional principles at the heart of our nation.

"And wherever you may live in the United Kingdom, or in the Realms and territories across the world, and whatever may be your background or beliefs, I shall endeavour to serve you with loyalty, respect and love, as I have throughout my life."

The Ascension Council took place at 10 am on September 10 at St James’ Palace and as part of Operation Spring Tide

Remembrance Day

On Sunday, November 13 last year the King attended his first Remembrance Day service as monarch. Along with the Queen, the King attended the service at the Cenotaph on Remembrance Sunday. 

He laid a new wreath, its ribbon bearing the Monarch’s racing colours.

Christmas speech

King Charles’ first Christmas broadcast offered him an opportunity to pay tribute to his late mother.

Speaking from the Chapel of St. George at Windsor Castle, he said: “It is a belief in the extraordinary ability of each person to touch, with goodness and compassion, the lives of others, and to shine a light in the world around them. 

“This is the essence of our community and the very foundation of our society. We see it in the selfless dedication of our Armed Forces and Emergency Services who work tirelessly to keep us all safe, and who performed so magnificently as we mourned the passing of our late Queen. 

“We see it in our health and social care professionals, our teachers and indeed all those working in public service, whose skill and commitment are at the heart of our communities. 

“And at this time of great anxiety and hardship – be it for those around the world facing conflict, famine or natural disaster, or for those at home finding ways to pay their bills and keep their families fed and warm – we see it in the humanity of people throughout our nations and the Commonwealth who so readily respond to the plight of others.”

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry

However, King Charles’ first year as monarch has not been without plenty of drama - with much of this in the press surrounding his relationship with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.

His relationship with his son - Harry - has become further estranged as the Prince has settled into life in the US with his wife Meghan Markle and their two children after leaving their roles as senior-working royals.

While it seems tensions within the family have been present for a number of years, things arguably got worse late last year when the couple released their tell-all Netflix docuseries, Meghan and Harry.

Although the show was poorly received critically, it marked one of the first times since their Oprah interview in March 2021 that the couple spoke about their time in the royal family and the difficulties they faced.

This included Harry reflecting on his mother’s relationship with the media and how Meghan reminds Harry of his late mother.

But if royals were unhappy about revelations made public in this series, things only got worse on January 10, 2023, when Prince Harry released his bombshell memoir Spare.

Here, Prince Harry revealed an alleged assault by his brother William, how the King attempted to mediate here, how the King pulled fun at headlines that questioned Harry’s parentage, and Harry’s military excursions in Afghanistan - including how he disclosed killing 25 enemy combatants.

Tensions here at the end of 2023 and the start of 2023 undoubtedly had an impact on the coronation in May.

Coronation - Operation Golden Orb

Plans for King Charles’ coronation were made for years under the codename Operation Golden Orb.

King Charles and Queen Camilla were crowned as King and Queen on Saturday, May 6 - an event that was followed by a coronation concert the following day.

For months there was speculation about whether Meghan Markle would attend the event following rumoured frictions.

In the lead up it was revealed that Harry would attend alone and that Meghan Markle would stay in the US for the event which also took place on the same day as their son Archie’s birthday.

Harry’s attendance was brief - as the headlines picked up on- but it is said that Charles made time to speak to him privately.

Honours of Scotland

On Saturday, July 5 during a National Service of Thanksgiving and Dedication held at St Giles’ Cathedral in Scotland, the King was presented with the Honours of Scotland - also known as the Scottish Crown Jewels.

The event is also known as the Scottish coronation. The tradition dates back to 1543 when a nine-month-old Mary, Queen of Scots, was handed the Scottish coronation regalia along with the English crown jewels.

Anniversary of Elizabeth II's death

Friday, September 8, 2023, will mark a full year of Charles as King the anniversary of Queen Elizabeth’s death.

But Charles won’t publicly mark the anniversary.

Instead, it has been reported that a private family gathering will take place at Balmoral in the late Queen’s memory.

At one point “celebrating” or commemorating the death of a monarch was considered an act of treason according to the Treason Act 1842, which was changed in recent years to instead focus on the act of celebrating a potential death of a monarch or esteemed public figure. 

The answer as to why there won’t be a public memorial is much more simple - the Royal family would rather keep it a private, family affair.

A Buckingham Palace spokesperson has confirmed that King Charles and Queen Camilla will mark the day “quietly and privately.”