The reading of the Proclamation of His Majesty King Charles III took place on the steps of the iconic Shire Hall building in town’s Market Square in Stafford on Sunday 11th September at 3.00 pm. HM Lord Lieutenant of Staffordshire, Mr Ian Dudson CBE, stood on the steps of Shire Hall to welcome the crowd gathered before introducing the High Sheriff of Staffordshire Ben Robinson MBE, DL who had the honour of making the proclamation itself.
Mr Robinson said:
”Whereas it has pleased Almighty God to call to His Mercy our late Sovereign Lady Queen Elizabeth the Second of Blessed and Glorious Memory, by whose Decease the Crown of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is solely and rightfully come to The Prince Charles Philip Arthur George: We, therefore, the Lords Spiritual and Temporal of this Realm and Members of the House of Commons, together with other members of Her late Majesty’s Privy Council and representatives of the Realms and Territories, Aldermen and Citizens of London, and others, do now hereby with one voice and Consent of Tongue and Heart publish and proclaim that The Prince Charles Philip Arthur George is now, by the Death of our late Sovereign of Happy Memory, become our only lawful and rightful Liege Lord Charles the Third, by the Grace of God of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and of His other Realms and Territories, King, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith, to whom we do acknowledge all Faith and Obedience with humble Affection; beseeching God by whom Kings and Queens do reign to bless His Majesty with long and happy Years to reign over us. Given at St. James’s Palace this tenth day of September in the year of Our Lord two thousand and twenty-two.”
GOD SAVE THE KING”
Mr Robinson said ‘it was my profound honour to perform the first Proclamation in over seventy years on the steps of the Shire Hall building in Stafford and the Stoke-on-Trent Cenotaph. It was delightful to see hundreds of Staffordshire citizens who had travelled to pay their respects to Her Late Majesty and witness the historical event of proclaiming King Charles III. I hope these events will be recalled by the citizens of Staffordshire for generations to come’.
Once HM the Lord Lieutenant and the High Sheriff had completed their duties in Stafford, they left to repeat the formalities in Stoke on Trent.
Other repetitions of the proclamation were also conducted later in the afternoon by officials in Biddulph, Cannock, Cheadle, Leek, Lichfield, Newcastle and Tamworth.
& HM Lord-Lieutenant of Staffordshire Ian J Dudson CBE KstJ