We make the following announcement following the passing of our late Sovereign, Queen Elizabeth the Second. Our sadness at this time is shared by people across the globe, as we remember with affection and gratitude the lifetime of service given by our longest- reigning Monarch.
But the basis on which our monarchy is built has ensured that through the centuries the Crown has passed in an unbroken line of succession. Today’s announcement marks the formal Proclamation to the people of the County of Hampshire and of the New Forest District of the beginning of our new King’s reign.
Yesterday the Accession Council met at St. James’s Palace to proclaim our new Sovereign, King Charles III.
Our flags which had flown at half-mast since The Queen’s death were raised briefly to their full height to mark the start of His Majesty’s reign.
The Accession Council also made an Order requiring High Sheriffs to cause the Proclamation to be read in the areas of their jurisdiction. The High Sheriff of Hampshire discharged that duty earlier today and following Proclamation by New Forest District Council earlier this afternoon, it is now our humble duty to bring the words of the Proclamation to the residents of New Milton Town, as follows:
Explanatory Note:
The proclamation of the new Sovereign is a very old tradition which can be traced back over many centuries.
The ceremony does not create a new King. It is simply an announcement of the accession which took place immediately on the death of the reigning monarch.
In an age where modern methods of communication convey news around the globe in an instant, the proclamation is no longer the main means by which people learn for the first time that they have a new Monarch.