King Charles III appointed Andy Burnham as the fourth prime minister of his reign on Tuesday, following a smooth handover of power at Buckingham Palace. The monarch accepted the resignation of outgoing premier Sir Keir Starmer and formally requested Mr Burnham, the former mayor of Greater Manchester, to form a new government.
Family Occasion at the Palace
The event was a family affair, with Sir Keir Starmer accompanied by his wife Lady Victoria Starmer and their teenage son and daughter for his final audience with the King. The new Prime Minister brought his wife Marie-France van Heel, a Dutch-born marketing professional and former contestant on Cilla Black's show Blind Date.
Sir Clive Alderton, the King and Queen's principal private secretary, greeted the outgoing prime minister warmly, patting his hand twice and touching his shoulder before kissing Lady Victoria on both cheeks. The Starmer children, rarely seen in public with their parents, joined the 30-minute audience towards the end alongside their mother.
Formal Appointment and Court Circular
The appointment was confirmed in a statement from Buckingham Palace, which will also appear in the Court Circular, the official record of royal engagements: “His Majesty received in audience the Rt Hon Andrew Burnham MP and requested him to form a new administration. The Rt Hon Andrew Burnham MP accepted the King’s offer and kissed hands upon his appointment as Prime Minister and First Lord of the Treasury. Ms Marie-France van Heel was also received by His Majesty.”
Sir Clive greeted Mr Burnham with the words “welcome back” and welcomed his wife with “hello, lovely to see you, welcome to Buckingham Palace,” before escorting the couple to see the King.
Audience and Public Cheers
Mr Burnham spent almost 35 minutes meeting Charles in the Chinese Drawing Room, with his wife joining towards the end. As the new Prime Minister left the palace hand in hand with his wife, a large group of tourists visiting the summer opening of the palace cheered from across the quadrangle. The couple acknowledged the vocal greeting with a wave.
The day's events began with Mr Starmer's visit to the King, coinciding with the changing of the guard ceremony in the palace forecourt, watched by hundreds of tourists. Mr Burnham's appointment marks the fourth prime ministerial change of Charles's reign, following Liz Truss, Rishi Sunak, and Sir Keir Starmer.
