King Charles visited Parliament today to unveil a new plaque to commemorate The late Queen who passed away 8th of September this year. The plaque is there to acknowledge and remember the Lying-In-State of The late Queen in Westminster Hall.
Lying-In-State is the tradition afforded to all monarchs, where their coffin is placed in view so members of the public can come and pay their respects. Queen Elizabethโs Lying-In-State took place in Westminster Hall and attracted over 250,000 visitors with some queuing through the night for the opportunity to pay their respects.
As part of the occasion, The King met with Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak and Leader of the Opposition, Sir Kier Starmer. The Speakers of both the House of Commons and the House of Lords were also in attendance at the unveiling.
A gift to mark The Queenโs Platinum Jubilee
In addition to unveiling the plaque to commemorate the Queenโs Lying-In-State, King Charles also received a gift from lawmakers to commemorate his Motherโs Platinum Jubilee, which was celebrated just a few months before her passing.
The celebration saw the United Kingdom enjoy a four-day bank holiday weekend, where the nation came together to celebrate Queen Elizabethโs 70 years as head of the monarchy. It was one of the last times that the country got to see her in public before her passing.
A plaque and bronze lamps
The gift received by King Charles was a pair of bronze lamps which featured heraldic beasts of the United Kingdom. Lawmakers and onlookers were given a treat when The King switched the lamps on, which resulted in The King receiving rapturous applause.
King Charles is set to be formally crowned King in a ceremony next May. As part of the celebrations, Rishi Sunak confirmed earlier this year that the entire country will be given an extra bank holiday. He said:
โThe Coronation of a new monarch is a unique moment for our country. In recognition of this historic occasion, I am pleased to announce an additional bank holiday for the whole United Kingdom next year.โ