King Charles III is set to address the nation on Friday afternoon, marking his first public speech since the queen’s death.
His speech comes as the United Kingdom enters a national period of mourning over Queen Elizabeth II, who died at the age of 96 on Thursday. The country began paying its respects to the queen on Friday, with bells ringing in tandem at Westminster Abbey, St. Paul’s Cathedral, Windsor Castle, and churches around the country at noon local time.
Officials also held a 96-gun salute, one round for each year of Elizabeth’s life, at multiple locations around 1 p.m. local time. A commemoration service is expected to be held at St. Paul’s Cathedral on Friday, and the queen’s coffin is expected to remain in Scotland until her funeral. Her funeral is expected to take place 10 days after her death at Westminster Abbey.
