welcome to bbc news. respect and love — king charles iii pledges to loyally serve the people — after his own tribute to the late queen. to my darling mama as you begin your last great journey to to my darling mama as you begin your last greatjourney to join my darling late dan one, i want simply to say this, thank you. as the throne passes from mother to son — those who got to know the queen well — share their memories. these were not meetings with a hi-h these were not meetings with a high and — these were not meetings with a high and mighty monarch, but a

conversation with a woman of experience and knowledge and immense wisdom.| experience and knowledge and immense wisdom.— experience and knowledge and immense wisdom. i was talking to someone _ immense wisdom. i was talking to someone with _ immense wisdom. i was talking to someone with extraordinaryl to someone with extraordinary knowledge, _ to someone with extraordinary knowledge, experience, - to someone with extraordinary l knowledge, experience, history, are used — knowledge, experience, history, are used to _ knowledge, experience, history, are used to look— knowledge, experience, history, are used to look forward - knowledge, experience, history, are used to look forward to - knowledge, experience, history, are used to look forward to it. i and the challenges awaiting king charles — as a prince he was an activist and campaigner — can he now step back and maintain the monarchy�*s political neutrality? welcome to viewers on pbs, and around the globe. a period of national mourning for her majesty queen elizabeth ii has now started, led by her successor,

king charles iii. earlier on friday, the new king arrived at buckingham palace after travelling from balmoral in scotland where the queen died on thursday at the age of 96. in his first address to the people as monarch, charles fought to contain his emotion, as he thanked his late motherfor her decades of service. our royal correspondent nicholas witchell reports on the day's events. from buckingham palace, an address to the nation by britain's new king. it began with a tribute to his mother, the late queen elizabeth. throughout her life, her majesty the queen, my beloved mother, was an inspiration and example to me and to all my family, and we owe her the most heartfelt debt any family could owe to their mother for her love, affection, guidance, understanding and example.

queen elizabeth's was a life well lived, a promise with destiny kept, and she is mourned most deeply in her passing. that promise of lifelong service i renew to you all today. the principles of constitutional monarchy would be followed. 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. my life will of course change, as i take up my new responsibilities. it will no longer be possible

for me to give so much of my time and energies for the charities and issues for which i care so deeply. he would rely on the support of his wife as queen consort. i count on the loving help of my darling wife camilla. in recognition of her own loyal public service since our marriage, 17 years ago, she becomes my queen consort. i know she will bring to the demands of her new role the steadfast devotion to duty on which i have come to rely so much. his eldest son william has a new title. today, i am proud to create him prince of wales, tywysog cymru, the country whose title i have been so greatly privileged to bear during so much of my life and duty. with catherine beside him, our new prince and princess of wales will, i know, continue to inspire and lead

our national conversations, helping to bring the marginal to the centre ground, where vital help can be given. there was an expression of love for the sussexes. i want also to express my love for harry and meghan, as they continue to build their lives overseas. and finally, a moving message to his mother. and to my darling mama, as you begin your last great journey to join my dear late papa, i want simply to say this — thank you. thank you for your love and devotion to our family, and to the family of nations you have served so diligently all these years. may flights of angels

sing thee to thy rest. earlier, the king had been flown down to london from balmoral, where, yesterday afternoon, he'd been at his mother's bedside. with his wife, the queen consort, he boarded one of the royal limousines flying the sovereign�*s standard. they headed straight to central london, and buckingham palace. a large crowd had gathered outside. the king left his car, and went along the lines, shaking hands. some of those who were there had come with flowers. all had come to express their sympathy and their support. # god save our gracious king. # long live our noble king...# there were flowers to inspect, the first of what are surely

likely to be many thousands of personal tributes left here, and at the other royal residences. and then the king made his way into buckingham palace — for nearly 200 years, the headquarters of the british monarchy — to begin work. your majesty, - the prime minister. thank you. there was an audience with the prime minister, one newcomer greeting another, a head of state one day into his role meeting a head of government with three days experience of hers. it's a moment i've been dreading, as i know a lot of people have. "a moment i've been dreading," said charles. a chance now to discuss how best to reassure a nation, unsettled by the loss of its longest lived monarch. gunshot. gun salutes were sounded — 96 rounds, one for each year of queen elizabeth's life — fired in london, and at edinburgh castle, cardiff castle, at hillsborough castle near belfast, in gibraltar,

and several other locations. the queen's immediate family have been sharing reminiscences, recorded for a bbc documentary. i mean, she was always there, and, i could talk to her about this, that or the other. and that's always been something i think that, well, it will be very difficult not to have, if you know what i mean. good evening, mr bond. the queen's participation in this spoofjames bond film, shown at the opening of the london olympics, was recalled by the earl of wessex. i thought it was an - extraordinary moment, because itjust showed that fantastic twinkle, | and sense of humour, - and the fact that my mother kept that completely -

to herself, and the team that were there, and didn't tell anybody wasjust brilliant. j bells were rung at westminster abbey and at other churches across the country, and at st paul's cathedral this evening, a special service of prayer and reflection. # god save our gracious queen...#. britain looks to the future with a new king, while it mourns a much loved queen. the nation's mourning for a much loved monarch has begun. nicholas witchell, bbc news. at westminster, members of parliament and peers assembled earlier on friday to pay their tributes to her majesty the queen. the prime minister liz truss described her as "the rock on which modern britain was built".

the leader of the opposition sir keir starmer said the loss of the queen had robbed the nation of its greatest comfort. our deputy political editor vicki young reports. political arguments silenced, divisions put to one side, as mps gathered to honour their queen, and share personal memories. liz truss spoke of her shock. just three days ago, she'd shaken the queen's hand, becoming her 15th and last prime minister. she generously shared with me her deep experience of government, even in those last days. everyone who met her will remember the moment. they will speak of it for the rest of their lives. quoting the poet philip larkin, the labour leader said the queen's death was a moment of uncertainty for the nation. the loss of our queen robs this country of its stillest point, its greatest comfort, at precisely the time we need those things most.

former prime ministers recalled their weekly audience with the queen. these were not meetings- with a high and mighty monarch, but a conversation, - with a woman of experience and knowledge - and immense wisdom. they were also the one meeting i went to which i knew— would not be briefed out to the media. i laughter only three days ago, when she saw off her 14th prime minister, and welcomed her15th, and i can tell you in that audience, she was as radiant and as knowledgeable and as fascinated by politics as ever i can remember, and as wise in her advice as anyone i know, if not wiser. others remembered the queen's kindness. harriet harman had been sacked as a cabinet minister in 1998. my diary was empty and my phone stopped ringing. my office was astonished to get

a call from buckingham palace. no—one else wanted to have anything to do with me! but the queen wanted to see me. i was invited to take tea with the queen for her to thank me for my service as secretary of state. when tony blair won his landslide victory, the queen reminded him that winston churchill had been herfirst prime minister. i was talking to someone with extraordinary knowledge, experience, history. i used to look forward to it. the relationship between monarch and prime minister is precious and unique. liz truss will fulfil her new role alongside a new king. vicki young, bbc news, westminster. the reign of king charles, which began on thursday, is expected to be true to the constitutional path followed by queen elizabeth, although charles's views on some issues of public debate have been clearly expressed in the past.

he comes to the throne at the age of 73, after serving a record period as prince of wales. our special correspondent allan little assesses charles's life and work so far, and the challenges ahead as monarch. fanfare. it has been a long journey to the throne. at an age when most of us have retired, he assumes the role for which he has been preparing for much of his life. newsreel: her royal highness the princess elizabeth, - duchess of edinburgh, was safely delivered of a prince at 9:14pm. thatjourney began in 1948, when the country was recovering from a devastating war. the monarchy had come to symbolise the nation's wartime sacrifice and resilience. will you, to the utmost of your power, maintain in the united kingdom... he was just four when he saw his mother crowned, too young to understand what it would mean for his own destiny. it was by no means an entirely happy childhood —

royal duties meant his parents were often away on long foreign tours. after one of them, it was a rather sad—looking charles who waited on the platform to welcome his mother home. the prince leads the way in real commando style. he was the first heir to the throne to be educated in a school. even as a child, he was living his life in the public eye. his time at gordonstoun was a torment. he was shy and sensitive and suffered periods of bullying. and faith and truth - i will bear unto thee... he was invested as prince of wales at 21. hejoined the raf, learned to fly, and commanded a coastal minehunter in the royal navy. here is the stuff of which fairy tales are made. when he married lady diana spencer in 1981, it seemed the perfect match. the couple's sons were born in the early years of the marriage. but it soon became clear that their relationship was foundering. it ended in divorce and an admission of adultery. did you try to be faithful and honourable to your wife

when you took on the vow of marriage? yes, absolutely. and you were? yes. until it became irretrievably broken down. us both having tried. what the public did not know was that when he married diana, he had already met the woman who would become the love of his life, camilla shand. but he had hesitated, and she had married the cavalry officer andrew parker bowles. the wave of public grief that followed diana's death in 1997 provoked a backlash that shook the royal family's reputation. but in just eight years, he steered public opinion toward acceptance of camilla, whom he married in 2005. as prince of wales, he led a life of public advocacy, expressing opinions and promoting causes that were close to his heart,

particularly the environment and climate change. i shall be able to say i attended a few seminars and made a few speeches, got into a spot of trouble and controversy occasionally, was accused of being a crank of various sorts, but can't claim to have done much more. what about all of you, ladies and gentlemen? what are you going to say to your grandchildren? his outspokenness drew criticism that he was undermining the monarchy�*s constitutional duty to political neutrality. the queen reigned for so long that she came to embody a certain conception of britain itself. we looked at her and saw a set of values that lay at the heart of what it meant to be british. and yet we knew almost nothing about her own views on the great issues of the day. we know a lot about where the new king stands. for 50 years he was an activist prince of wales. as monarch, he'll have to step away from that. people have expressed worries about whether this involvement will continue in the same way.

no, it won't! i'm not that stupid. i do realise that it is a separate exercise being sovereign. but there is a counterargument — that it's his engagement with the most pressing issues of our day that will place his reign at the heart of national life, renewing and reinvigorating the monarchy. first thing he was probably best known for was the prince's trust, which was the future of young people, and i think he'll continue to be passionate about that. the environment, interfaith relations, our food and farming communities, these are all national issues that matter and i think they're very relevant, so i think the monarchy under his leadership will remain as relevant as ever. the king's immediate challenge is to unite his family and the nation through this period of mourning. a big cheer for the lancaster and the spitfires and the hurricanes. queen elizabeth was a force for national unity and coherence. her son's longer—term challenge is to articulate values that

will chime with contemporary sensibilities and concerns, and which will help him build on the powerful legacy of respect and public affection that his mother bequeaths him. allan little, bbc news. reflections upon the new king. let's discuss this a little bit further with the us royal commentator kristen meinzer, whojoined us from new commentator kristen meinzer, who joined us from new york. commentator kristen meinzer, whojoined us from new york. we know the us has a lot of interest in the british royal family, but what is the conversation right now in terms of what the new king can potentially be, how he will be as a monarch following the queen? at, as a monarch following the queen? �* ., ., , queen? a lot of us here in the us are heping _ queen? a lot of us here in the us are hoping that _ queen? a lot of us here in the us are hoping that he - queen? a lot of us here in the us are hoping that he might . us are hoping that he might take some cues from his son harry, who has been more outspoken than any other royal when it comes to talking about

misogyny and racism and white supremacy and so on. he and meghan have both talked about those issues, and william has started to a bit as well, after his disastrous caribbean tour, and there are that perhaps charles will begin to approach theseissues charles will begin to approach these issues that for the most part, queen elizabeth didn't approach. there are hopes that maybe he will modernise what the monarchy can actually talk about, and bring things up to speed. and by that i don't mean to be political, because i think personally, most of these issues are not elliptical, they are more humanitarian, they are more about what we acknowledge at this point in history as right or wrong. so i know for a lot of people in the us, that is what they are hoping charles will do but i will be very frank with you, that there is a general sentiment in the us that maybe they don't feel 100% on board with child, maybe they

are still —— with charles. maybe there are still some feelings about what happened between him and diana. diana was very loved in the us. we know that — was very loved in the us. we know that when it came to the late queen, there was absolutely no question that she was incredibly discrete in terms of her opinions. is that something that you would potentially hope then, as you describe, that we know of charles' previous campaigning, activist work, it is something that not necessarily he can now do, he himself says that in his words, "he is not stupid", he can't continue to do something like that. is that genuinely something you think that he is able to continue?— able to continue? historically the monarch _ able to continue? historically the monarch was _ able to continue? historically the monarch was supposed . able to continue? historically| the monarch was supposed to never complain, never explain, keep things very close to the vest which the queen, she had an impeccable record of doing

that, she was outstanding at that. i also think that maybe it is ok if we veer a little bit away from the model that the queen built, and her predecessors. because we all know, he can't be the queen. why replicate everything she did, he is never going to be the queen? rather than fill her shoes, perhaps he needs to wear new ones. maybe that doesn't mean talking about certain issues, again not because they are political, but because this is 2022 and it is time to address some of these issues. does that mean, is that man a suggestion that you believe there should be a change in the whole, not so much structure of the british monarchy, but maybe a modernisation of it, a downsizing of it perhaps? i know that is something that previously as the prince of wales, king charles was before talking about the potential of downsizing the british monarchy.—

downsizing the british monarch . . ., , monarchy. yeah, charles himself. _ monarchy. yeah, charles himself, as _ monarchy. yeah, charles himself, as you - monarchy. yeah, charles himself, as you said, - monarchy. yeah, charles| himself, as you said, yes, monarchy. yeah, charles - himself, as you said, yes, he himself, as you said, yes, he himself has suggested that perhaps it would be worthwhile to downsize the monarchy. i think he knows there are some issues with the optics there, he knows that especially right now, with the economic situation, notjust in the uk but all around the world, how good does it look to have every single grandniece and great—nephew and so on on the payroll? how good does it look when some family members, frankly, are considered quite despicable around the world? i think you know which family member i am talking about. so there are things to be said for downsizing a bit, and also maybe just bringing things up to speed, like i said, not being scared to talk about certain things that just being scared to talk about certain things thatjust are universally understood to be about right and wrong at this point in history, not political.— point in history, not olitical. , ~ political. kristen meinzer, thank you _ political. kristen meinzer, thank you for _

political. kristen meinzer, thank you for sharing - political. kristen meinzer, thank you for sharing your views, us royal commentator kristen meinzer, thank you. views from the united states there. the queen's popularity crossed notjust oceans but also generations. schools around the world have been learning about the monarch and her rain. our midlands correspondent navtej johal has been speaking to young people in leicester. our queen, queen elizabeth ii, she died yesterday afternoon... there was only one subject on much of the nation's mind today. and in soar valley college in leicester, young people were discussing the monarch who has defined the country she led for 70 years and what comes next. does anyone have any questions about this? yes? will the money currency change? what surprised you most in the last 2a hours? these year 11 students all spoke of their respect for the late monarch, but had different views on the monarchy. i feel like she related to us because when she was our age, she was doing the war efforts

with the people of her age. i feel like she was one of us, even though we might have seen her as a greater person. she seemed like a very kind and caring person. in the photos, she's always waving at kids, going up to kids. i still believe the monarchy is still important in our- society because they can still help in many ways, i like helping with organisations throughout the world. - they help to represent our country. _ i think the whole role should be given to the prime minister instead, because they are allowed to get involved and make decisions on behalf of the people. in terms of abiding images and memories of the queen, who here thinks of her having tea with paddington? yeah, definitely. definitely unexpected. nearby, at rushey mead academy, teenagers shared their thoughts on the queen. personally, for me and my family, it would be at christmas time when we watch her broadcasted message on tv in the afternoon and itjust, you know, it really gives you that christmas spirit and togetherness because it's really personal. and you watched that every year? every year on christmas day.

as a female leader, that she was queen for such a long time, i definitely think that, as a girl, she was a really big role model. it's incredibly sad - that the queen has passed and i feel great respect. for her and all she's done for this country, as leader of the country and leaderl of the church. does anybody here believe that the monarchy is not relevant any more? i think it is relevant for a lot of the older generation, but not necessarily the younger generation because a lot of us are out of touch with what is going on within the monarchy. so is she a fashion icon? yeah... among these young people, there are questions about their support for the monarchy�*s future, but there is unquestionably admiration for the late monarch. navtej johal, bbc news, leicester. how schoolchildren across the uk are remembering the queen. and if you would like to pay your respects and your

condolences, we have a live page on our website where we are welcoming you to send your condolences and your respects, if you check out our website, the instructions on how to do that are all there. if you would like to pay your contributors —— tributes and your condolences, please do, all the information is there on how to send your messages. the queen was part of the wartime generation that personified the values of duty and sacrifice. when she was 18, princess elizabeth joined the auxiliary territorial service, the women's branch of the army, and trained as a mechanic. our special correspondent fergal keane has been to meet three members of that wartime generation, to ask what her majesty the queen meant to them. she grew to adulthood as her country fought for its life. a fight princess elizabeth

inspired, in uniform and on the airwaves. we children at home are full of cheerfulness and courage. we are trying to do all we can to help our gallant sailors, soldiers and airmen. newsreel: in the broad expanse of the mid-atlantic, _ units of the british navy guard the ocean that is the most vital battle zone of the war. as allied convoys braved german u—boats, princess elizabeth joined hundreds of thousands of young women in uniform — like patricia owtram, a naval code—breaker. she did exactly what i would have expected her to do, and did volunteer, and was active, and, in some ways, equal to the other young women in the services. so, i think we grew up very much with the idea that you participate. you don't sort of watch from the sidelines. you have a responsibility

to defend your country. but this is also the story of a vision, of a country that represented a civilised sanctuary for survivors of the nazi genocide. i thought it was the best choice of my life. i literally thought i'd arrived in heaven when i first came to england. for auschwitz survivor ivor perl, 13 when he came, the princess symbolised hope. am i right in saying that she represented safety to you? very much so. safety, security, and love. and especially... especially, i was 13 years old, lost everything. so ijust thought of her like a substitute parent. the struggle for the survival of a free united kingdom saw young men risk their lives, day after day, in bombing

raids over germany. flight lieutenant colin bell knew what it was to lose his friends to the war. now 101, he mourns the loss of a queen, and that sense of united wartime purpose she embodied. the queen was a perfect example of duty. she said right at the onset that she was going to devote her life to the service of the nation. that, she saw, as duty. she has gone, after setting a matchless example, and, sadly, we shall never see the like of her again. second subaltern elizabeth windsor, whose life and that of the generation she came from, were shaped by war and its fearsome burdens. fergal keane, bbc news.

the bbc�*s royal correspondent, nicholas witchell, now looks back on her life. and admiralty arch into trafalgar square, the tumult of welcome and love surrounds her. fanfare plays i here present unto you queen elizabeth, your undoubted queen. # vivat regina! # vivat regina elizabetha! # vivat! is your majesty willing to take the oath? iam willing. she was 27 when she took the coronation oath. will you solemnly promise and swear— will you solemnly promise and swear to — will you solemnly promise and swear to govern the people of

the united kingdom of great britain — the united kingdom of great britain and northern ireland?