Proclamation of King Charles III sees scores of people pack out Guildhall Square

Crowds descended on Portsmouth to watch the ceremony at the same place the Queen once stood to reopen the Guildhall after it had been rebuilt following Second World War bombing.

Onlookers observed in silence to hear the Lord Mayor of Portsmouth, Cllr Hugh Mason, read the address in an historic moment echoed by mayors and officials up and down the country on Sunday afternoon.

The event follows the national proclamation at St James’ Palace on Saturday when Prince Charles was confirmed the new monarch.

Giving the proclamation, the Lord Mayor stood halfway up the steps of Portsmouth Guildhall, with Hampshire police superintendent Claire Jenkins, Hampshire’s deputy lieutenant, sea cadets, members of the armed forces and city MPs and officials behind him.

The Lord Mayor told the crowd: ‘Today’s ceremony marks the formal proclamation to the people of the city of Portsmouth of the beginning of the new King’s reign.’

He ended the proclamation as he said, ‘God save the King’, to which the crowd echoed back the same words.

Penny Mordaunt, MP for Portsmouth North described the proclamation as ‘touching’.

She said: ‘I send a huge thank you to the many people who came to witness the proclamation. I think the Queen knew Portsmouth very well indeed for all sorts of reasons. Both she and her family would be very touched by the number of people who came today.’

After the proclamation the national anthem was sung by the throng of smartly dressed people in the crowd.

Labour MP for Portsmouth North, Stephen Morgan, said: ‘The Queen had a huge affection for Portsmouth and that was returned by the people of Portsmouth. We always do events like these incredibly.’

Resident Deepak Thakur, 33, came kitted out in a sea of red, white and blue, sporting a Union Jack flag and bucket hat.

He said: ‘I want to respect the Queen for serving this country for 70 years. We do miss the Queen and we will continue to miss her. It's a real change to have a King.

‘It was quite emotional but it's an honour to be here and be a part of it.’

Drayton resident James Coomver, 78, was a little boy at Queen Elizabeth’s coronation.

He said to be at the proclamation ‘marks the end’ of an era.

‘I was a small child when King George VI died,’ he said.

‘I was taken by my mother to the cinema to see the colour film of the Queen’s coronation.

‘The Queen has done a phenomenal job. In a time where people are very fearful, she's stayed firm to her vows.

‘This marks the end but we now have a new King.’

Veteran Richie Farman, a member of the Portsea Royal Navy Association added: ‘All I've known all my life is the Queen but we've just got to get behind King Charles now. Words can't describe how I feel. It's like losing a mother.’

Hampshire Police superintendent Clare Jenkins said: ‘We're mourning our Queen who I swore allegiance to 30 years ago next week. For us as police officers it's so important because we swear our allegiance to the Queen when we join and now it will be to the King.’