The ceremony marks the start of King Charles III reign
Senior leaders across Leicester and Leicestershire will come together in a ceremony on Sunday to mark the beginning of the new King’s reign.
On Saturday, the proclamation of the new King will be made at St James’s Palace by the Garter King of Arms and read aloud at the Royal Exchange in London. On Sunday, at noon, it will be read aloud at Edinburgh Castle, Cardiff Castle and Hillsborough Castle in Belfast.
By order of the Accession Council, a duty is conferred on the High Sheriff to make the proclamation in the city and county.
On Sunday at 1pm, in Leicester, the High Sheriff will stand on the steps of the Town Hall with the Lord-Lieutenant, Lord Mayor of Leicester, and Chairman of the County Council to read the proclamation of the King.
Flags which had flown at half-mast since The Queen’s death will be raised briefly to their full height to mark the start of His Majesty’s reign.
HM Lord-Lieutenant of Leicestershire, Michael Kapur OBE, said: “We are all grieving The Queen and the next few days will be a period of collective mourning.
“The reading of the proclamation is a significant moment following The Queen’s death and I am expecting large numbers of people to want to witness this piece of history.
The High Sheriff, Mehmooda Duke MBE, said: “The proclamation of the new sovereign is a very old tradition which can be traced back over many centuries.
“In an age where modern technology will convey news around the globe in an instant, the proclamation is not the means by which people will learn that they have a new Monarch.
It will be, however, one of the first occasions when communities have the opportunity to come together and reflect on a moment in our nation’s history when the reign of our longest-serving Monarch ended and our new King succeeded.”
Civic leaders will be joined by faith leaders, representatives of the emergency services, armed forces cadets, and members of the public.
Other local readings will follow around the county, at which the Lord-Lieutenant will be represented by his deputies.