King Charles III Remembers Queen Elizabeth's 'Example of Selfless Duty' in Parliament Address
King Charles III is «deeply grateful» for the outpouring of condolences followingthe death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II. The monarch, who officially ascended the British throne on Saturday morning, offered remarks to the Lords and Members of the House of Commons in response to the Addresses of Condolence at Westminster Hall on Monday. «I am deeply grateful for the Addresses of Condolence by the House of Lords and the House of Commons, which so touchingly encompass what our late Sovereign, my beloved mother The Queen, meant to us all. As Shakespeare says of the earlier Queen Elizabeth, she was 'a pattern to all Princes living,'» he began his remarks. The King drew attention to the tangible gifts marking the Queen's varying Jubilee celebrations — from a Fountain in New Palace Yard, to a Sundial in Old Palace Yard, to a Stained Glass Window. He noted that Parliament's «most generous gift» in honor of her Platinum Jubilee in June had yet to be formally unveiled. «The great bell of Big Ben – one of the most powerful symbols of our nation throughout the world and housed within the Elizabeth Tower also named for my mother’s Diamond Jubilee – will mark the passage of The late Queen’s progress from Buckingham Palace to this Parliament on Wednesday,» he noted. «We gather today in remembrance of the remarkable span of The Queen’s dedicated service to her nations and peoples. While very young, Her late Majesty pledged herself to serve her country and her people and to maintain the precious principles of constitutional government which lie at the heart of our nation. This vow she kept with unsurpassed devotion,» Charles continued.