The most subtle and symbolic relationship within the British constitutional and political framework is the relationship between sovereignty and Parliament, where sovereignty really resides. When black rod (Knight Usher with the Black Cane) addresses the House of Commons to announce that the king (king, for 70 years) has arrived at the Palace of Westminster and will deliver speech -until now, queen’s speech—, which in practice is nothing more than the Government’s legislative agenda, tradition dictates that it should be slashed. They only agree to unlock after you hit up to three times with a stick. This is a way to make it clear that there is no king above the representatives of the people.

This Monday, the DPR will not accept Carlos III with a slam. Accompanied by the empress, Camila, the new king will listen to the speech of speaker (President) of the House of Commons and the Chair of the House of Lords. And he will address both legislatures, for the first time as king, to repeat before them the commitment outlined in his first statement. Only on one previous occasion had he spoken to deputies and nobles: on May 10, replace his motherwhose “mobility problems” prevented him from fulfilling one of his most solemn annual obligations.

It will be a moment of great relevance, but there is hardly any brackets in the complete freeze caused by Elizabeth II’s death in parliamentary and political life of the country, as well as the scheduled official mourning. whatever happens a prime minister, Liz Truss, has arrived at Downing Street, which still raises a lot of uncertainty, and that he was obligated, since he took office last Tuesday, to quickly demonstrate his plans to stop the looming recession and energy crisis. It does not matter that the opposition Labor Party has prepared a strong strategy to weaken the Government, and that it is already focused on the next annual congress in Liverpool (a political conference, referred to in the jargon of British parties), to warm up the engine, with opinion polls showing an advantage. more than 10 percentage points over conservative. Everything has set the backdrop, until Monday, September 19, when a state funeral will be held, and London will receive more than a million visitors and hundreds of dignitaries from around the world.

Eight days to mourn the queen

Monday, September 12

Elizabeth II died in Scotland. A nation with a royal family that has a special relationship. Paradoxically, a region with a growing longing for secession symbolizes more than any other Windsor’s connection to tradition. Carlos III will embark on a short tour of the four corners of the Union there: his official residence is in England, but the king wants to perform in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. In Edinburgh, with his wife, he will attend the service, with the gift of the casket of Elizabeth II, who had arrived from Balmoral the day before, in the cathedral of San Gil.

Tuesday, September 13

Charles III and Queen Camilla will travel to Belfast. At Hillsborough Castle, his official residence in Northern Ireland, he will meet with political representatives from the region and a select group of members of the Northern Irish community. Due to the paralysis caused by the unions due to the Northern Ireland Protocol signed between London and Brussels, there are currently no chief ministers appointed. After her recent election victory, it will suit Sinn Féin’s candidate, Michelle O´Neill, the party that had been the IRA’s political arm for years, occupied the position. The leader of the republican formation has confirmed his presence at events planned for Carlos III’s visit, and has asked his followers to express respect for the mourning of Isabel II’s death. That handshake, in 2012, between Martin McGuinness, former head of the IRA and one of the actors in the peace treaty, and the queen, will go down in the region’s history as one of those moments when things changed for the better.

At six o’clock in the afternoon (seven in the afternoon, Spanish peninsula time), a plane will transfer Elizabeth II’s coffin from Edinburgh to Northolt air base, near London. His body will soon arrive at Buckingham Palace. The king and his wife were already there to receive him.

Wednesday, September 14-Sunday, September 18

Wednesday will be the day of the procession carrying Elizabeth II’s coffin, covered to royal standards, to Westminster Hall, the solemn lobby of the oldest building that makes up the Palace of Parliament. Winston Churchill’s casket is there, and historic banquets have been held there, such as those welcoming Nelson Mandela or Barack Obama on their state visits. Until Sunday, for five days, hundreds of thousands of citizens would be able to go to personally say goodbye to the king. George VI, the queen’s father, said goodbye to 300,000 people. Buckingham Palace’s tally this time is over half a million.

In the coffin the queen will be placed State Crown (Crownfor fans of the Netflix series), the crown that Elizabeth II wore at her 1953 coronation ceremony.

On Thursday and Friday, Carlos III will visit Wales, and the weekend will be spent attending to international dignitaries and other members of the royal family who have already arrived in London.

Monday, September 19

Declared a national holiday, it will be the last day of a long period of mourning. At half past eight in the morning (thirty-thirty, Spanish peninsula time) the burning chapel will be closed. Half an hour later Big Ben will beep. Soon, your percussion hammer will be covered with a thick leather cover so that the all-day chimes have a dull, muffled sound.

At 10:30am (11:30am on the peninsula), the coffin will be moved by train – the same one that transported Lady Di’s body – to Westminster Abbey. At 11.00 the funeral will begin, with the presence of about 2,000 guests. An hour of service later, the coffin would return to the coffin, and would tour, before hundreds of thousands of people, Parliament Square, Whitehall, Constitution Hill, The Mall and finally Wellington Arch.

From there he would travel, for the final service, to Windsor Castle. Isabel II will be buried that afternoon in the chapel of San Jorge, next to her husband Felipe de Edinburgh.

On Tuesday, under the new government, the political urgency frozen by Elizabeth II’s death will return to Parliament and public debate.

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