Britain mourns Queen Elizabeth as King Charles takes throne

Britain’s new king prepared to meet with the prime minister Friday and address a nation mourning Queen Elizabeth II.
The country began a 10-day mourning period Friday, with bells tolling around Britain and 96 gun salutes planned in London – one for each year of the queen’s long life. People around the globe gathered at British embassies to pay homage to the queen, who died Thursday in Balmoral Castle in Scotland.
King Charles III takes the throne in an era of uncertainty for both his country and the monarchy itself.
On his first full day of duties Friday, he is expected to return to London, meet Prime Minister Liz Truss, appointed just days earlier, and deliver a speech to the nation at a time when many Britons are preoccupied with an energy crisis, the soaring cost of living, the war in Ukraine and the fallout from Brexit.
Hundreds of people arrived through the night to leave flowers outside the gates of Buckingham Palace, the monarch’s London home, or simply to pause and reflect.