What is a proclamation? How the ceremony announcing King Charles III works

King Charles III will be formally proclaimed this weekend, formally marking the start of his reign following the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II.

As it's been 70 years since a monarch was proclaimed, the majority of Brits have never seen such an event.

Here's what happens and what to expect.

What is a proclamation?

Although Charles became King automatically on the death of his mother, the Accession Council meets to announce his accession.

Normally the council meets within 24 hours of the death of the previous sovereign, however it is being staged a day later for the new King as the formal announcement of Queen Elizabeth II's death was not made until Thursday evening, not leaving enough time for plans to be put in place for a Friday proclamation.

Explaining what happens, Buckingham Palace said: “The Accession Council, attended by Privy Councillors, is divided into two parts. In Part I, the Privy Council, without The King present, will proclaim the Sovereign, and formally approve various consequential Orders, including the arrangements for the Proclamation.

“Part II, is the holding by The King of His Majesty’s first Privy Council. The King will make his Declaration and read and sign an oath to uphold the security of the Church in Scotland and approve Orders in Council which facilitate continuity of government.”

In Part I the chosen privy counsellors - without the King - will gather at St James’s Palace to proclaim the new sovereign, joined by Great Officers of State, the Lord Mayor and City Civic party, Realm High Commissioners and some senior civil servants.

When the meeting begins, the Lord President announces the death of the sovereign - Queen Elizabeth II - and calls upon the Clerk of the Council to read aloud the text of the Accession Proclamation. It will include Charles’s chosen title as King – already known to be King Charles III.

The platform party – made up of Camilla and William, the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Lord Chancellor, the Archbishop of York, the Prime Minister, the Lord Privy Seal, the Lord Great Chamberlain, the Earl Marshal and the Lord President – sign the Proclamation. The Lord President then calls for silence and reads the remaining items of business, which deal with the dissemination of the Proclamation and various orders giving directions for firing guns at Hyde Park and the Tower of London.

In Part II the King enters and holds his first Council, which is only attended by privy counsellors. There, he will first make a personal declaration about the death of the Queen.

Then one of his next acts will be to take the oath to preserve the Church of Scotland – because in Scotland there is a division of powers between Church and State.

He will read it out loud and sign two identical Instruments recording the taking of the oath, with his signature witnessed by Camilla, the new Queen, and Prince William, the new Duke of Cornwall and Cambridge, and others including the Secretary of State for Scotland and the Scottish First Minister.

Another oath, the Accession Declaration, to maintain the protestant succession, is normally made several months later at the State Opening of Parliament.

Other business will be dealt with, including the use of the Seals, to “facilitate the continuity of government”.

Privy counsellors will sign the Proclamation as they leave.

The official record of proceedings will be published in a special supplement to the London Gazette.

When is the proclamation?

The Accession Council will meet at 10am on Saturday.

In recognition of the new Sovereign, union flags will be flown at full-mast from the time of the Principal Proclamation at St James’s Palace until one hour after the Proclamations in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales, after which flags will return to half-mast in mourning for the death of Elizabeth II.

Where does the proclamation take place?

The proclamation will take place in the State Apartments at St James's Palace.

A Principal Proclamation will be read in public for the first time by the Garter King of Arms in the open air from the balcony overlooking Friary Court at St James’s at 11am. Amid great ceremony, trumpeters usually play a fanfare from the balcony and gun salutes are fired in Hyde Park and at the Tower of London at the same time.

It will be followed by a flurry of Proclamations around the country, with the second one at City of London at the Royal Exchange at midday on Saturday, and further Proclamations in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales at midday on Sunday.

It will also be read out publicly in other cities including Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast at midday on Sunday and usually at Windsor and in York, where the mayor traditionally drinks to the new sovereign’s health from a golden goblet.

How to watch the proclamation

For the first time TV cameras will be allowed inside to capture the proceedings after the King gave permission.

Coverage will begin at 9.30am on BBC One and ITV1, running until 12.30pm and 12.45pm respectively.

Local proclamations

Proclamations will be taking place in the Black Country and Staffordshire this weekend.

Sandwell

Oldbury: Sandwell Council House - 1pm, Sunday

Staffordshire

Stafford: Shire Hall, Market Square - 1pm, Sunday

Biddulph: Town Hall, High Street - 2.30pm, Sunday

Cannock: Bandstand by the bowling green in the town centre - 2.30pm, Sunday

Cheadle: War Memorial, Tean Road - 2.30pm, Sunday

Leek: Nicolson Memorial, Leek - 2.30pm, Sunday

Lichfield: Market Square, Market Street - 2.30pm, Sunday

Newcastle: Market Cross, High Street - 2.30pm, Sunday

Stoke: Kings Hall - 2.30pm, Sunday

Tamworth: Town Hall, Market Street - 2.30pm, Sunday

Who is on the Privy Council

Historically, the entire Privy Council is summoned to the Accession Council to oversee the formal proclamation of a new monarch.

However, there are now more than 700 privy counsellors, made up of lifetime members who are mostly past and present politicians, not all of them can be present.

Just 200 will be summoned, and those cut will be asked to enter an annual ballot for a few remaining seats. Although the decision has prompted a row over the lack of consultation and the loss of the key duty, this does not affect the constitutional process.

The Accession Council must take place before Parliament meets, and Parliament should meet as soon as practicable after the death of a sovereign.

The Accession Council is divided into two parts, and is presided over by the Lord President of the Council, who has ministerial responsibility for the Privy Council Office.

Penny Mordaunt was appointed Lord President of the Council, and Leader of the House of Commons, on September 6 in Liz Truss’s new Cabinet, in place of Mark Spencer, with the Queen officially approving the appointment.

Ms Mordaunt is yet to be “declared” Lord President at a Privy Council meeting because the event was postponed on Wednesday when the Queen was urged to rest.

Camilla – the new Queen – and the Duke of Cornwall and Cambridge are already privy counsellors so will be present.