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Charles, King of England, has spoken out for the first time since his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, died at age 96.
The Queen, Britain's longest-reigning monarch, passed away peacefully on Thursday (September 8) at Balmoral surrounded by several members of her family, Buckingham Palace confirmed. Following her death, her son Charles, formerly Prince of Wales, became King, the country's first new monarch since Queen Elizabeth's coronation in 1953.
According to BBC, the first decision of the new king's reign was to choose his official name, which could have been any of his four official names — Charles Philip Arthur George. Harkening back on his former title, he will be now known as King Charles III, a royal title which new Prime Minister Liz Truss announced in her nationwide address.
Buckingham Palace issued a follow-up statement from His Majesty the King mourning the loss of his mother and a beloved figure in British history.
"The death of the beloved Mother, Her Majesty The Queen, is a moment of the greatest sadness for me and all members of my family," the statement reads.
"We mourn profoundly the passing of a cherished Sovereign and a much-loved Mother," the statement continued. "I know her loss will be deeply felt throughout the country, the Realms and the Commonwealth, and by countless people around the world.
The King's statement concluded with a message of comfort knowing how beloved the late Queen was both in the country and across the globe.
"During this period of mourning and change," the statement reads, "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."
The King along with his wife, Camilla Parker Bowles, now officially Queen Consort, will remain at Balmoral before returning to London on Friday (September 9).