King Charles III spent the day honouring his late mother at the Palace of Westminster.
His Majesty visited the Houses of Parliament on December 14th 2022 to view several tributes to his mother and for a service of remembrance and thanksgiving.
The Deputy Speaker of the House of Commons suspended all business in the Commons during The King’s visit.
Charles met with Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, the Leader of the Opposition, Sir Keir Starmer, as well as the Speaker of the House of Commons, Sir Lindsay Hoyle, and the Speaker of the House of Lords, Lord McFall of Alcluith during his visit.
His Majesty unveiled a plaque in Westminster Hall commemorating the Lying-in-State of Queen Elizabeth II, his mother. Her coffin was on display for four full days at Westminster Hall where more than 250,000 walked past solemnly to pay their respects to the monarch. The King and his siblings stood watch over their mother’s coffin in Westminster Hall, as did their children.
The first plaque commemorating the lying-in-state of a monarch was placed in honour of King Edward VII in 1910, and one has been placed for each monarch since.
The parliamentarians, meaning those elected to the House of Commons as Members of Parliaments, also presented The King with a gift in honour of his mother’s historic Platinum Jubilee.
The 650 MPs collectively gifted two bronze lamps that are decorated with the four heraldic beasts of the United Kingdom. The two lamps have a particularly meaningful location in Westminster Hall. The UK Parliament explains, “Commemorating a unique moment in the nation’s history, the Platinum Jubilee gift is situated between two previous gifts to Queen Elizabeth II – the Diamond Jubilee window in Westminster Hall and the Silver Jubilee fountain in New Palace Yard.”
While chatting with onlookers in Westminster Hall, The King saw that a woman had dropped her walking stick and he picked it up to return it to her.
The King will soon be off to the Sandringham Estate in Norfolk, to continue his parents’ tradition of celebrating the holiday season there.
