King Charles is about to get the fourth Prime Minister of his reign after Sir Keir Starmer announced his plans to resign and the Labour Party began the process of choosing a new leader. However, although the pick as party boss and therefore PM belongs to Labour, their selection can’t become Prime Minister until The King asks them to form a government. And that mean the ancient practice of ‘kissing hands’ will once more take centre stage.
The brief exchange between monarch and new premier will be mentioned in the Court Circular entry marking the meeting that will see a new PM take power. But although the entry will mentioned ‘kissing hands’, in the 21st century, it’s thought the act is now just a handshake. But this nod to ritual is a vital part of the process of taking power. And over a century ago, one king called his new Prime Minister to his holiday home to ensure government could continue seamlessly.
When Edward VII had headed to Biarritz for a springtime break in 1908, his government had been under the stewardship of Liberal Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman. But his health was failing fast and on April 3rd, he resigned. Herbert Asquith, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, was selected as his successor without opposition ensuring a smooth transition – with one small obstacle. The king was still in France. And so Herbert Asquith headed to the Riviera to become Prime Minister.
He arrived at the Hotel du Palais in Biarritz on April 7th 1908 for the traditional ceremony. It was a very regal setting. The hotel had originally been built as a holiday home around 1855 for the Empress Eugenie by her still doting husband, Napoleon III. It was turned into a hotel in 1880 and by the time Edward VII and Herbert Asquith met there, it had been completely rebuilt within its original walls following a fire in 1903.
This ‘kissing hands’ took place behind the closed doors of the hotel’s luxurious rooms with Asquith leaving almost immediately to return home and start to build his government. Edward remained in Biarritz, a place he loved.
Since then, kissing hands has taken place in the palaces and royal residences in the UK. But the fact that a politician was ready to travel so far, so quickly underlines how vital this ancient tradition is to the transition of power. The inclusion of the phrase ‘kissed hands’ might well be the most archaic part of the official confirmations that a new PM has taken office.
Sir Keir Starmer has said he hopes the Labour Party will have replaced him as leader by the time parliament is back from summer recess, set this year for September 1st. It means that King Charles may well be away from London when the decision comes through. However, it is likely that His Majesty’s diary will be altered to ensure he is easy to reach once the decision is made.
Although The King and Queen spend late summer at Balmoral, it is unlikely the kissing hands will take place there. The Highlands residence is a long way from London and difficult to access. In 2022, Elizabeth II had planned to travel from Balmoral to London to welcome Liz Truss as her newest PM but was ultimately advised by doctors to remain in Scotland. That meant that outgoing PM, Boris Johnson, and his successor both had to travel to Scotland and their meetings were delayed by bad weather.
King Charles also spends part of the summer at Sandringham and his private home in Norfolk is much more easily accessible from London. It is likely that The King would still travel to the capital for the changeover of power rather than requesting Sir Keir and his successor come to him.
It’s understood that The King was called by Sir Keir before the PM announced his resignation and that the call was taken at Highgrove, Charles III’s private home in Gloucestershire that he technically leases from Prince William as it is part of the Duchy of Cornwall. Highgrove is around a two hour drive from London and might also be a possible site for the changeover between Sir Keir and the fourth Prime Minister of the reign of Charles III.
