In his first speech after the death of Queen Elizabeth II, King Charles III paid a touching tribute to his mother.
Holding back tears, the heir vowed to make the late monarch proud.
Mother and Son.
(Image: Getty)“As the Queen herself did with such unswerving devotion, I too now solemnly pledge myself, throughout the remaining time God grants me, to uphold the constitutional principles at the heart of our nation,” he said in a speech shared around the world.
“I shall endeavour to serve with loyalty, respect, and love, as I have throughout my life.”
And as Charles carries out his reign, royal experts believe Her Majesty would be “very proud” of her son.
“He has far exceeded expectations and done it with tremendous overall grace, in a way that I’m sure the Queen would be very proud,” says best selling author Eric Schiffer.
For the late Queen Elizabeth, juggling the monarchy and motherhood wasn’t easy. And by all accounts, Charles’ childhood was a lonely one.
Queen Elizabeth with Princess Anne (L) and then-Prince Charles (R).
(Image: Getty)Martin Charteris, the Queen’s former private secretary, once suggested that Charles “must have been baffled by what a natural mother-son relationship was meant to be like.'”
But, as the years went on, the Queen’s relationship with her eldest child changed.
“I think that the Queen and Charles grew closer as she grew white [and] old, and as he grew,” says royal expert Christopher Andersen.
The pair bonded over their charitable endeavours, with the Queen declaring publicly in 1999 how “proud” she was of what Charles had achieved with The Prince’s Trust.
They also shared a passion for gardening, and Charles said his mother inspired his love of horticulture.
“We had as children, a little plot at the back of Buckingham Palace garden where we grew vegetables and things,” he said.
Their relationship continued to grow better with age.
(Image: Getty)FOREVER REMEMBERED
He often spoke fondly of his “much-loved mother” – the pair were often photographed in her latter years giggling alongside each other at public events – describing her “warmth, humour, and an unerring ability always to see the best in people”.
In his first address to Britain as King in September, Charles made clear how grateful he was to his “darling Mama” for her “love and devotion to our family and to the family of nations you have served”.
After over 70 years as heir, Charles III prepares to take over the throne.
(Image: Getty)