The United Kingdom’s new King Charles III met with lawmakers in London Monday, where he received parliamentary condolences and made a short address, before flying to Edinburgh to lead the procession as his mother’s coffin is taken to St. Giles’ Cathedral in Edinburgh. Follow our live blog as the day’s events unfold.

11:36am: King Charles III makes first address to UK parliament

“[Queen Elizabeth II] set an example of selfless duty, which with God’s help, and your counsel, I am resolved faithfully to follow,” said Britain’s King Charles III on Monday during remarks upon receiving official condolences from the two houses of parliament.

The new king also called parliament “the living and breathing instrument of our democracy”, addressing lawmakers and peers in Westminster Hall which he said offered connections to his mother, Queen Elizabeth.

“Parliament is the living and breathing instrument of our democracy,” King Charles said before lawmakers and peers stood to sing the national anthem.

“As I stand before you today, I cannot help but feel the weight of history which surrounds us, and which reminds us of the vital parliamentary traditions, to which members of both Houses, dedicate yourselves with such personal commitment for the betterment of us all.”

10:55am: King Charles III and Queen Consort Camilla to receive parliamentary condolences

King Charles III is coming to the United Kingdom’s Westminster Palace for the first time as monarch. Britain’s two houses of parliament, the House of Commons and the House of Lords, will officially deliver condolences to the King in a short ceremony. The king is expected to deliver short remarks, then he and Queen Consort Camilla will fly to Edinburgh. It’s an important moment for the country, and hundreds of thousands of people are expected to pay their respects to the Queen, FRANCE 24’s Catherine Nicholson reports from London.

 10:48am: Prince Harry pays tribute to ‘granny’ Queen Elizabeth II

Britain’s Prince Harry paid a highly personal tribute on Monday to his “granny”, the late Queen Elizabeth, saying how he cherished the time he had spent with the 96-year-old who died last week and how he would honour his father as the new king.

In a statement, Harry, who stepped down from royal duties with his wife Meghan in 2020, praised the Queen’s service as head of state and monarch, and also spoke emotionally of her role as a grandmother.

“Granny, while this final parting brings us great sadness, I am forever grateful for all of our first meetings – from my earliest childhood memories with you, to meeting you for the first time as my Commander-in-Chief, to the first moment you met my darling wife and hugged your beloved great-grandchildren,” he said.

After he and Meghan left their official royal roles, they became alienated from the family, including his father, now king, and delivered withering criticism of Buckingham Palace and how they had been treated.

“As it comes to first meetings, we now honour my father in his new role as King Charles III,” he said.

10:38am: King Charles III to join procession of Queen’s coffin in Scotland

King Charles will meet lawmakers in parliament in London on Monday before flying to Edinburgh to join his siblings in a solemn procession when the coffin of his mother Queen Elizabeth is taken to the city’s historic cathedral.

The new monarch will also join senior royals for a vigil at St Giles’ Cathedral where the coffin will lie at rest before being flown to London on Tuesday.

Since Elizabeth’s death aged 96 at Balmoral Castle, her Scottish holiday home, a choreographed series of plans to mourn Britain’s monarch of 70 years has been put into operation.

On Sunday, her oak coffin, draped in the Royal Standard of Scotland with a wreath on top, was taken by hearse on a six-hour journey from Balmoral through picturesque Scottish countryside, villages, small towns and cities to Edinburgh.

Tens of thousands of well-wishers lined the roads to pay their respects, while huge crowds, some in tears, gathered in Edinburgh to greet the cortege.

3:21am: Britons get first chance to view Queen Elizabeth II’s coffin

Mourners will on Monday get the first opportunity to pay respects before the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II, as it lies in an Edinburgh cathedral where King Charles III himself will mount a vigil.

Thousands of people are expected to line up for the chance to see the flag-draped casket at St Giles’ Cathedral in the Scottish capital, a week before her funeral in London.

The new monarch will walk behind his mother’s coffin in a sombre procession leading from Holyroodhouse palace, where it arrived on Sunday after making a six-hour road journey from Balmoral Castle, to the church.

The new king will also address British lawmakers in London for the first time since ascending the throne, as the pageantry continues ahead of the Queen’s September 19 state funeral.

The lengthy mourning period comes with Britain trying to reconcile itself to the death of its longest-serving monarch, who has been part of the backdrop of national life almost since World War II.

(FRANCE 24 with AP, AFP and REUTERS)