Scores of people lined the streets in central Oxford today to witness a moment in history that will never be forgotten.
Today in the centre of Oxford, county and city councillors, military officials, local armed forces, religious leaders and a Salvation Army band came together for Oxford’s proclamation of King Charles III.
Taking place one day after the King’s official proclamation at St James’s Palace, in London, Oxford’s secondary event began with three coordinated gatherings.
The county procession gathered at Town Hall, the city procession at Bonn Square and the university procession at the Sheldonian Theatre.
Each group marched in succession towards Carfax Tower where they formed ranks on a podium to the sound of the Salvation Army’s trumpeting.
With hundreds of people flanking the closed-off streets of Oxford centre, Lord Lieutenant Mrs Marjorie Glasgow began the speeches.
She said: “This is a time of mixed emotions for us all. We are grieving the loss of our queen.
“The Queen’s commitment and benevolence made her one of the most cherished people in world history.”
Read more: As it happened: proclamation of King Charles III in Oxford
Mrs Glasgow’s speech was followed by the Lord Mayor of Oxford, Councillor James Fry: “One day, when I was a little boy, my teachers told me the Queen was going to be passing nearby our school.
“They marched us out into the street – South Circular in Dulwich – and we sat on the kerb for hours and hours.
“We thought there was going to be a procession or something, but alas, the Queen whizzed by in her car, and we had no idea she was even there.”
Met with laughter from the crowds, the Lord Mayor went on to praise King Charles: “Our links to kings named Charles go back to Charles the First.
“And King Charles III is no stranger to Oxford. He became a patron of the Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies in 1993, he has cared for our gardens, and he is the official visitor of Christ Church, Oriel College and University College.”
Chair of Oxfordshire County Council took the mic next: “I had the privilege of welcoming the Queen to Oxford in 2008, when I was Lord Mayor.
“She was here to open the children’s hospital. It’s an occasion I will always remember.
“We hope that our new king Charles the III will continue to visit our amazing county to help us celebrate our many scientific, social and other achievements.
“His accession is taking place at one of the darkest times our world has known, with the climate crisis, the economic crisis, growing poverty, and yet another war in Europe.
“We know that the new King has been warning about the climate crisis and the steep decline in biodiversity for many years.
“He has also been working hard on important charities such as the Prince’s Trust, which provides support for troubled young people and youngsters in areas of deprivation, including here in Oxfordshire.
“We hope that the experience he has gained will now inform his reign and that he will help our government to act with courage and humanity.”
Mrs Pressel’s speech was followed by a series of prayers, led by the City Rector, the Interfaith Leader and the Bishop of Oxford, Rt Revd Dr Steven Croft.
The singing of the national anthem ended the ceremony, after which all the processions filed off to the Town Hall.
Despite a largely contemplative atmosphere, there were a few anti-monarchist sentiments shouted from some people in the crowd.
Symon Hill wrote on Twitter after the event: “I was arrested today in Oxford after I voiced my opposition to the proclamation of the new King.
“Can we be arrested simply for expressing an opinion in public?”
Read more from this author
This story was written by Matthew Norman, he joined the team in 2022 as a Facebook community reporter.
Matthew covers Bicester and focuses on finding stories from diverse communities.
Get in touch with him by emailing: Matthew.norman@newsquest.co.uk
Follow him on Twitter: @OxMailMattN1
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