Large crowds gather in Saturday Market for the proclamation

Thousands of members of the public were on Saturday Market in Beverley to witness the historical and ceremonial East Riding proclamation of King Charles III, which took place on Sunday.

Following the death of Queen Elizabeth II, the proclamation of the new king took place in cities, towns and villages across the UK.

In the East Riding, the High Sheriff of the East Riding of Yorkshire, Mrs Jacky Bowes, and the Lord Lieutenant of the East Riding of Yorkshire, Jim Dick OBE, were joined by the chairman of the East Riding of Yorkshire Council, Councillor John Whittle, and the mayor of Beverley, Councillor Linda Johnson, to announce the accession of the new king.

A procession of the civic dignitaries and other invited guests left the Guildhall and made their way through Toll Gavel to Market Cross, where the proclamation took place at around 3:30pm.

Once the proclamation was made, prayers were said by Rev Jacki Tonkin and the national anthem sung, before three cheers were given to King Charles III.

“It’s a very emotional time,” said the High Sheriff of the East Riding of Yorkshire.

“I’m devastated at the passing of the Queen.

“You saw her on the television with the new prime minister on the Tuesday and she looked really old and frail.

“She did amazingly well, particularly after losing Philip, who she had been with for so long.

“With the Platinum Jubilee, she kept fighting on. It’s so sad but I have to say that our new King spoke brilliantly on the television.

“It’s really hard, as everyone is looking at him as the new King, but at the end of the day, it was his mum.

“Less than 24 hours after she died, he’s speaking to the nation and we have to be very mindful of the fact that the Royal Family are grieving too.

“It’s been fantastic to see how the nation has come together and it was nice to see William and Kate and Harry and Meghan walk to see the floral tributes.

“Let’s hope that if nothing else comes out of the Queen’s passing, that there is some reconciliation between them.

“In the speech I made before the proclamation, I said the Queen was totally devoted, incredibly committed and lived her life as a very devout Christian.

“She has taken us through some tough times, none more so than during the pandemic.

“But she always had that ability to make people smile too, such as the sketch she did with Paddington Bear.

“It’s been a strange few days. The turnout for the proclamation in Beverley was phenomenal and the atmosphere was just remarkable.

“It was something that I will never forget for the rest of my life, a huge honour and privilege, and I even had the opportunity to do it twice.

“I had fantastic support, as it is quite a nerve-wracking experience. Sarah Asquith, who works in the civic office at East Riding of Yorkshire Council, did some fantastic work in the days leading up to the proclamation, along with the rest of her team.

“The Lord Lieutenant was a huge support and it was so great that so many people turned out and the weather stayed fine.”

The East Riding proclamation was the second to take place on Sunday, with the first in Queen Victoria Square, Hull, earlier in the day.

A number of town and parish councils across the East Riding, including Driffield, also marked the accession to the throne of King Charles III.

Deputy lieutenants were in attendance at places such as the Jubilee Gardens on South Street in Leven.