OTTAWA-
King Charles III was proclaimed Canada’s new head of state at an accession ceremony in Ottawa attended by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Governor General Mary Simon.
Trudeau and members of the federal cabinet and Privy Council met ahead of today’s ceremony as part of the protocol needed to officially proclaim the new sovereign.
The Prime Minister then signed the Order in Council and Proclamation of Accession in the presence of the Governor General at the same table used by Charles’ mother, Queen Elizabeth II, during her first official visit to Canada in October 1957.
The accession ceremony at Rideau Hall comes as the federal government prepares for a series of events to commemorate the legacy of Queen Elizabeth II, who died on Thursday.
Authorities are awaiting public confirmation of the date of her state funeral in London before announcing the date of Canada’s National Memorial ceremony for the Queen.
The protocol calls for 10 days of mourning after the Queen’s death, but the rules regarding funerals are not as rigid.
This report from The Canadian Press was first published on September 10, 2022.