Over the past ten days, King Charles III has led the nation in mourning and travelled 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 yesterday, as he prepared to bury his mother, the King was working until the last moment on the eve of her funeral. After holding meetings with Prime Minister Liz Truss and leaders of the realms, His Majesty last night 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 for the aftermath of the Queen's death. Codenamed London Bridge, the operation featured dozens of events marking the farewell to the Queen as well as the King's accession to the throne. Little could have prepared the King for such an emotional and exhausting schedule.
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.
On the seventh day, a break from the demanding ceremonial events was set aside in Operation London Bridge to give the monarch a moment of pause. While the King did retire to Highgrove House in Gloucestershire on Wednesday night, he spent his brief respite from public duties working on relations with world leaders, speaking with more than eight presidents and governor generals.
