King Charles begins reign as Britons mourn Queen Elizabeth
- King Charles’ reign as Britain’s monarch will be formally proclaimed on Saturday
- His mother Queen Elizabeth died on Thursday at her Scotland home aged 96
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Buckingham Palace said the royal period of mourning would last until seven days after a state funeral in her honour.
“The date of the funeral will be confirmed in due course,” the palace said in a statement.
State funerals are traditionally reserved for monarchs, but the last one in Britain occurred after former prime minister Winston Churchill’s death in 1965. Churchill was the first of 15 prime ministers to serve during Queen Elizabeth’s 70-year reign as Britain’s head of state.
“Xi Jinping, representing the Chinese government and the Chinese people, as well as in his own name, expresses deep condolences,” a statement said, adding: “Her passing is a great loss to the British people.”