King Charles attends service for anniversary of Elizabeth II's death
- Published
The portrait of the late Queen has not been released before
King Charles III and Queen Camilla have marked the first anniversary of Elizabeth II's death with a prayer service near Balmoral.
They were at Crathie Kirk, while the Duke of Sussex visited St George's Chapel in Windsor - the late queen's final resting place.
The Prince and Princess of Wales attended a private service at St Davids Cathedral in Pembrokeshire.
The King also released a message and a favourite photograph of the late queen.
Watch: Gun salutes across the UK mark King Charles III's first year on throne
The photograph chosen by the King shows the queen at an official portrait sitting in 1968 aged 42.
Elizabeth II died aged 96 at Balmoral Castle in Aberdeenshire on 8 September last year, just months after her Platinum Jubilee which marked 70 years on the throne.
The King, who has spent the summer at his Birkhall residence and Balmoral, attended the nearby Crathie Kirk church for private memorial prayers on Friday morning.
Following the service, the King and Queen went on a walkabout, smiling and sharing jokes with Balmoral Estate staff, members of the royal household, local primary school pupils and residents from the nearby town of Ballater.
Prince William and Catherine, Princess of Wales attended a short private service on Friday at St Davids Cathedral - some 500 miles away in Wales.
Catherine, wearing earrings which belonged to the late queen, laid flowers in front of a portrait of her.
Meanwhile, Prince Harry was photographed leaving St George's Chapel in Windsor after paying respects to his grandmother.
The chapel, where the late queen's moving Committal Service was held, is home to Elizabeth II's final resting place - the King George VI Memorial Chapel.
In his short tribute, the King thanked the nation for the "love and support" shown to him and Queen Camilla during his first year as monarch.
"In marking the first anniversary of Her late Majesty's death and my accession, we recall with great affection her long life, devoted service and all she meant to so many of us," the King said.
"I am deeply grateful, too, for the love and support that has been shown to my wife and myself during this year as we do our utmost to be of service to you all."
His written message, which accompanies the audio recording, is signed Charles R.
King Charles spoke to the crowds outside the service at Crathie Kirk near Balmoral
Prince William and Catherine attended a service in Wales on Friday
The formal colour photograph was taken by Cecil Beaton on 16 October 1968 and has not been released until now.
It shows the late queen in her Garter robes, wearing the Grand Duchess Vladimir's Tiara, made of 15 interlaced diamond circles.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said in a message that the scale of the late queen's service "only seems greater" a year after her death.
"Her devotion to the nations of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth only seems deeper," he said.
"And our gratitude for such an extraordinary life of duty and dedication only continues to grow."
Mr Sunak said he treasured his memories of meeting the late queen and was struck by her "wisdom, her incredible warmth and grace", as well as her "sharp wit".
"People across the UK - whether they had the good fortune to meet Her late Majesty or not - will be reflecting today on what she meant to them and the example she set for us all," he added.
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said the queues to see the late queen lying in state showed she had "always enjoyed a special bond with her people".
"It was a relationship built from her understanding that service of this great nation is the thread that unites sovereign and subject," he said.
"So, as we reflect on her legacy again today, let us embrace that spirit of public service as our guide towards a better future."
To mark the anniversary of King Charles's accession to the throne, gun salutes were fired at midday on Friday in Hyde Park and at 13:00 BST at the Tower of London.
Bells were rung at Westminster Abbey at 13:00 to mark the occasion.
Prince Harry separately paid his own tribute to the late queen, saying she "is looking down on all of us".
In a speech at the WellChild Awards ceremony in London on Thursday, he recalled how he had been forced to miss last year's event as he flew to Balmoral after his grandmother became ill.
You can read more royal stories in the weekly BBC News Royal Watch Newsletter - sign up here from within the UK, or here, from outside the UK, external.
Related topics
- Published4 August 2023
- Published8 September 2023
- Published19 September 2022
