Local events planned to mark the proclamation of new King

Following the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, there will be national and local proclamations to mark the accession of the new monarch, King Charles III.

Rich in tradition, a proclamation is part of the formal process to declare a new monarch.

The national proclamation will take place at St James’s Palace in London at 11am on Saturday, 10 September in front of a ceremonial body known as the Accession Council.

The following day, a Lancashire proclamation will take place on the steps of the Harris Museum in Preston at 1pm.

Attended by civic dignitaries such as mayors and mayoresses from across the county, the High Sheriff of Lancashire will proclaim the king’s name and his accession to the throne.

Then later on Sunday afternoon, two local proclamation events, which are open to anyone, will take place in:

• Blackburn – 2.30pm outside the Town Hall
• Darwen – 3.30pm in the Market Square

At these short events, the Mayor of Blackburn with Darwen, Councillor Suleman Khonat, will read the Proclamation of the Accession.

At the end of the Proclamation, the Mayor and everyone in attendance will say ‘God Save The King’ and a verse of the National Anthem will be played.

Council Chief Executive Denise Park said:

We’re all saddened by the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth.

Such a national event is steeped in tradition, and the Proclamation of the Accession is a key part of declaring our new King.

It will be an honour for me to accompany the Mayor and Council Leader to the Lancashire proclamation event and then to attend two events for Blackburn with Darwen on Sunday.

Everyone in our borough is welcome to attend these events, which will be a part of our local history.

For anyone unable to attend in person, both local proclamation events will be streamed live on the Council’s Facebook page.

Road closures

To keep everyone safe at the local Proclamation of King Charles III events , road closures will be in place in both Blackburn and Darwen town centres.

Blackburn – from 2 – 3pm

These roads will be affected: Tackett Street, Exchange Street, King William Street and Museum Street.

The diversion route will be Richmond Terrace, Boltons Court, Richmond Hill, Barbara Castle Way, Preston New Road, and Sudell Cross.

Darwen – from 3 – 4pm

These roads will be affected: Croft Street, Parliament Street and Church Street.

The diversion route will be Railway Road, School Street, Knott Street, Union Street, Market Street, Arch Street, Green Street and Borough Road.

Read more about how Blackburn with Darwen is commemorating Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II here.