Over the past ten days, King Charles III has led the nation in mourning while travelling some 1,900 miles as the new monarch, all while grieving his 'darling mama'. His demanding schedule has seen him journey from castle to cathedral, and walkabout to reception, in more than 30 engagements across the land since the Queen's death.
Even on the eve of her funeral, the King was working until the last moment. After holding meetings with Prime Minister Liz Truss and leaders of the realms, His Majesty hosted a huge official state reception at Buckingham Palace, welcoming world leaders and foreign royals including US President Joe Biden and Canadian premier Justin Trudeau.
Those engagements were laid out long ago in a detailed ten-day plan codenamed London Bridge. The past week has seen His Majesty dash around on a tour through Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales, accompanied by Camilla, the Queen Consort. In between his duties as the new monarch, he has led the Royal Family in honouring the Queen in a string of ceremonial events watched by the world.
King Charles rushed some 150 miles from Dumfries House to Balmoral to be by his mother's side before she passed away. The very next day he was in London to meet the Prime Minister before being proclaimed King. He then flew to Edinburgh to lead his siblings in a poignant funeral procession, followed by a service and vigil. The tour continued to Northern Ireland and Wales, with the King also receiving the Queen's coffin at RAF Northolt.
On the seventh day, a break from ceremonial events was set aside in Operation London Bridge. While the King did retire to Highgrove House in Gloucestershire, he spent his brief respite working on relations with world leaders, speaking with more than eight presidents and governor generals late into the evening.
The Archbishop of Canterbury last week paid tribute to King Charles's 'extraordinary courage' in the wake of the Queen's death.
