Thousands packed the heart of Inverness for a ceremony to officially proclaim His Majesty King Charles III as the new monarch.
Sunday was in many ways a day of sadness, as the Queen left Balmoral for the final time and her cortege made its way to Edinburgh.
It was also a day of new beginnings as, across the north and north-east, ceremonies were held to mark the proclamation of the accession of the King as monarch.
The region’s primary ceremony was led by Derek Pyle, Sheriff Principal of Grampian, Highland and Islands outside Inverness Town House.
Thousands stood side by side to watch history unfold, with more gazing on from apartment windows on the High Street.
Children sat high on shoulders, the elderly remembered she who had reigned for the entirety of their lives and the occasional “God save the King” erupted from the crowd.
Tinged with sadness
There was silence as the proclamation was read, salutes as the national anthem was played then applause as the ceremony came to an end.
Speaking after the ceremony, Highland Council convener Bill Lobban thought of the juxtaposition between the death of the Queen and the proclamation of her son as King.
He said: “I suppose there’s a tinge of sadness there because Her Majesty is no longer here, but it’s a bright future for His Majesty King Charles.”
Mr Lobban stood on the podium alongside Mr Pyle as the proclamation was read and described the feeling of seeing thousands gathered for the ceremony.
“It was absolutely amazing to see,” he said.
“As you step out onto that podium and you see the masses of people, I think it’s utterly fabulous, and it really is a tribute to Her Majesty The Queen and her successor King Charles.”
Though Mr Lobban did not get as close as shaking hands with the Queen, he had been in her presence and explained how strong a leader he believed her to be.
He also acknowledged the fact that she dedicated her life to the role she held for more than 70 years, and that this was something to be admired.
“I think she has been an incredible leader over all these years,” said Mr Lobban.
“Irrespective of whichever way you feel, this was a lady who did her duty from when she was a young woman until she was an elderly woman and that deserves some respect.”
Getting to know King Charles
It is no secret that the Queen was fond of the north and north-east.
She spent her final days at Balmoral and often spoke of how much the surrounding area meant to her throughout her long life.
Mr Lobban said he felt the love between Her Majesty and the people of the Highlands was mutual. He hopes the new King would visit too, when he has time.
“I think it was fairly obvious that the people of the Highlands loved the Queen,” he said.
“Also I think we’ll get to know King Charles better now that he is the monarch. He has visited here on many many occasions and we hope he will do again in the future, but I’m sure he’s going to be very busy.”
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