Accession Council explained: How King Charles will be officially proclaimed as the new monarch

10 September 2022, 07:38 | Updated: 10 September 2022, 07:53

King Charles will be formally declared the new sovereign at a convention called the Accession Council on Saturday.

It is only convened in the wake of the death of a sovereign so only a handful have taken place in the last couple of centuries.

It is the way a new monarch is formally proclaimed. In a historic first, Saturday's Accession Council for King Charles will be televised.

The Accession Council is often convened within 24 hours of a monarch's death and it will be held at St James's Palace.

It is presided over by the Lord President of the Council, Penny Mordaunt, and is split into two parts.

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Live updates: King Charles to be formally declared new sovereign at Accession Council

Part one sees some Privy Counsellors (members of the Privy Council, a part of the machinery of the state that, in part, advises the monarch and includes Government figures), Great Officers of State, the Lord Mayor and High Sheriffs of the City of London, Realm High Commissioners, some senior civil servants and others meet.

The Lord President announces the death of the sovereign, and a proclamation is signed. Silence is then called and outlines any items of business relating to the proclamation.

In part two, the new sovereign holds their first Privy Council and only Privy Counsellors attend this.

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King Charles will make a personal declaration and and take an oath over the security of the Church of Scotland, which ensures its self-governing status is preserved.

The Oath says: "I, [INSERT TITLE] by the Grace of God of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and of My other Realms and Territories King, Defender of the Faith, do faithfully promise and swear that I shall inviolably maintain and preserve the Settlement of the true Protestant Religion as established by the Laws made in Scotland in prosecution of the Claim of Right and particularly by an Act intituled "An Act for securing the Protestant Religion and Presbyterian Church Government” and by the Acts passed in the Parliament of both Kingdoms for Union of the two Kingdoms, together with the Government, Worship, Discipline, Rights and Privileges of the Church of Scotland. So help me God."

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The signing of this oath will be witnessed by some of those at the meeting, including any royals present and the First Minister of Scotland.

The monarch also reads the oath out.

The proclamation will later be read from the balcony above Friary Court at St James's Palace.

When is it held?

The meeting will begin from 10am.

How can I see it?

You can follow live on Global Player, watch updates on this live blog or, in a historic first, watch on TV when the balcony proclamation is made.