King Charles III is carrying on with business as head of state following the death of the late Queen Elizabeth II, taking phone calls from world leaders on Wednesday as his mother’s coffin was taken to lie in state at Westminster Hall.
Buckingham Palace revealed that King Charles spoke with the Governor Generals of Canada, Australia, and Jamaica, as well as the presidents of France, the United States and Ireland.
The Australian Governor-General David Hurley spoke with the new King via phone and expressed his condolences on behalf of all Australians on the death of Queen Elizabeth II, according to Sky News Australia.
Governor General Mary Simon of Canada spoke with the King and hosted the Canadian diplomatic corps at Rideau Hall to sign the book of condolences. The Jamaican Governor-General, Sir Patrick Allen, has continued to host crowds to sign the book of condolences at the King’s House. All three of the King’s Governor Generals, along with those of the wider Commonwealth, will attend Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral on Monday.
American President Joe Biden offered his condolences in a phone call. The White House’s official readout of the call noted that the President “recalled fondly The Queen’s kindness and hospitality, including when she hosted him and the First Lady at Windsor Castle last June.”
President Biden passed along the “great admiration of the American people for The Queen, whose dignity and constancy deepened the enduring friendship and special relationship between the United States and the United Kingdom,” before affirming that he hopes to continue “a close relationship with the King.”
French President Emmanuel Macron tweeted the details of his call with King Charles III, writing that “on the telephone with His Majesty King Charles III, I offered him France’s condolences for the death of his mother, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Monday, I will be in London to attend the funeral.
“The link between France and the United Kingdom is unbreakable. We will continue to weave it, following the path laid out by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.”
Details of the call between King Charles III and Irish President Michael D. Higgins have not been made public; however, the two caught up in person while the new King was in Belfast, Northern Ireland, for a service to commemorate his late mother.
King Charles will spend the day in private reflection on Thursday as members of the Royal Family carry out engagements in remembrance of the late Queen. The Prince and Princess of Wales will visit mourners at the Sandringham Estate; the Earl and Countess of Wessex are due in Manchester; and the Princess Royal and Sir Tim Lawrence are expected in Glasgow.
