Black Country MPs reveal feelings after being invited to King's proclamation ceremony

The ceremony formally announced the death of the Queen and Charles' accession to the throne, with an Accession Council taking place at St James’s Palace.

Privy counsellors – a group of mostly senior politicians both past and present, as well as members of the Royal Family and other national figures – were present for the proclamation on Saturday morning. While the Privy Council is made up of more than 700 members, only 200 were invited to the ceremony.

This included Pat McFadden, MP for Wolverhampton South East, who was made a Privy Counsellor after becoming a government minister in 2008.

Mr McFadden, said: "It was a great honour to be invited to take part in the Accession Council today in my role as Privy Counsellor, to bear witness to the proclamation of our new King, Charles III.

"Also to hear our new King speak to us about his commitment to uphold constitutional government and to continue the principle of public service and duty to which the Queen had devoted her life."

Aldridge-Brownhills MP, Wendy Morton, and newly appointed chief whip, was also present.

"It's quite hard to describe how I feel. It's truly an historic moment," she said.

"I feel deeply privileged, honoured, and humbled to have witnessed this historic occasion, born out of the sadness of the death of Her Majesty. This is a day I will never forget."

The MP for Aldridge-Brownhills then gave a tribute to the late Queen in the House of Commons on Saturday evening, where she spoke affectionately about her love for Elizabeth, and how she made a scrapbook filled with pictures of the Queen as a child.

Addressing her colleagues in the House of Commons, Mrs Morton said: "I really wanted on behalf of my constituency in Aldridge-Brownhills to pay tribute to Her Late Majesty.

"We all have personal stories and memories. For me, I never actually met the Queen, but I saw her at a distance.

"But I wanted to reflect on the Silver Jubilee back in 1977 when I was a little bit younger than I am now, and I would cut the pictures out of my mum's magazines and the newspapers to create a scrapbook.

"And I see honourable friends nodding, and I think so many of us did that in the days before social media, and somewhere at home I still have that scrapbook and when I get back I want to go and find it.

"But I have so many memories of that and I remember the village coming together as a community and everybody was part of this."

She also addressed the Platinum Jubilee, and how the constituents in Aldridge-Brownhills celebrated.

The chief whip added: "The many community events - the tea parties, the street parties - but most of all the community spirit, the tremendous community spirit, which is a hallmark of Aldridge-Brownhills, but it's also a real testament to the huge amount of love and respect that so many had for Her Late Majesty.

"Someone who not only really understands people and communities, the nation, but also had a unique way of bringing our country together.

"In speaking on behalf of my constituency, I also want to say that above all, we remember and recognise her service and her duty to all across our nation, the Commonwealth, and indeed the world.

"She has been truly remarkable. She was and will remain to many of us, an inspiration."