King Charles III delivered his first address Friday as the monarch of England following the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II.
“I speak to you today with feelings of profound sorrow,” the King said in a video stream from Buckingham Palace.
“Throughout her life, Her Majesty The Queen – my beloved Mother – was an inspiration and example to me and to all my family, and we owe her the most heartfelt debt any family can owe to their mother,” he continued.
In the speech, the King gave his son William, the new heir to the throne, the title of Prince of Wales — the title he held before he became king. Kate Middleton will now hold the title of Princess of Wales. He also gave his “love” to his younger son Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle.
Markle did not attend the Queen’s bedside amid the ongoing tensions in the family, as she and Harry left the U.K. and have criticized the Queen.
“Queen Elizabeth was a life well lived; a promise with destiny kept and she is mourned most deeply in her passing. That promise of lifelong service I renew to you all today,” he added. “To my darling Mama, as you begin your last great journey to join my dear late Papa, I want simply to say this: thank you. Thank you for your love and devotion to our family and to the family of nations you have served so diligently all these years. May ‘flights of Angels sing thee to thy rest.'”
The King was greeted with crowds of supporters as he entered the palace earlier Friday, with one woman kissing him on the face.
“I couldn’t believe it and I said to him, ‘may I kiss you?’ And he said, ‘well, yes.’ So I grabbed him, and I’m very happy,” Jenny Assiminios told CNN.
“It never crossed my mind” that she’d ever kiss a king, she said, adding that “he’s lovely, he’s perfect.”
PHOTOS: King Charles Greet Well-Wishers
The 73-year-old issued a statement after his mother “died peacefully” Thursday after reigning for more than 70 years on the throne.
“The death of my beloved Mother, Her Majesty The Queen, is a moment of the greatest sadness for me and all the members of my family,” he wrote in a statement. “We mourn profoundly the passing of a cherished Sovereign and a much-loved Mother. I know her loss will be deeply felt throughout the country, the Realms and the Commonwealth, and by countless people around the world.”
“During this period of mourning and change, my family and I will be comforted and sustained by our knowledge of the respect and deep affection in which The Queen was so widely held,” he said.
President Joe Biden said Friday that he would be attending the Queen’s funeral, though he didn’t know the “details” yet.