King Charles III arrives at Buckingham Palace to chants of 'Long live the king!'

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By stefan armitage

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Following the heartbreaking loss of Queen Elizabeth II on Thursday, there is a new monarch of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth realms; King Charles III.

At the age of 73, King Charles III is the oldest monarch in history to ascend the throne - a role he has been preparing for his entire life.

Less than 24 hours after his mother's passing, King Charles III has traveled by plane to London, alongside his wife and the new Queen Consort, Camila.

And this afternoon, the couple arrived at Buckingham Palace, where the new monarch was greeted with cheers by hundreds of well-wishers. Many even broke out to chants of "Long live the king".

A video of the historic moment was shared by royal correspondent Richard Palmer, and can be seen below:

Following his arrival, the new king then greeted members of the crowd, where he was provided with comments of sympathy for the loss of his mother, flowers, and even kisses on the hand and cheek by devoted members of the public.

As King Charles III made his way down the crowd, more chants of "long live the King" continued to ring out.

The new King and Queen then took a moment to admire the many bouquets of flowers that had been left at the gates of Buckingham Palace.

After entering the palace, the Royal Standard was once again flying high, as King Charles III entered the historic building for the first time as monarch.

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Credit: DPA picture alliance / Alamy

Prior to King Charles III's arrival, the Union Jack flag was flying at half-mast in honor of the late Queen.

While inside Buckingham Palace, it is believed King Charles III has recorded an address to the nation - which is set to air at 6:00PM BST this evening. Per the Financial Times, the message was recorded in the grand Blue Drawing Room.

The new king is also expected to hold a one-to-one audience with new prime minister Liz Truss - who was invited to start a government by Queen Elizabeth II in Balmoral just three days ago.

King Charles III became the new monarch immediately after his mother's death.

Shortly after her passing, he released a statement to the nation that read: The death of my beloved Mother, Her Majesty The Queen, is a moment of the greatest sadness for me and all members of my family.

"We mourn profoundly the passing of a cherished sovereign and a much-loved mother.

"I know her loss will be deeply felt throughout the country, the Realms and the Commonwealth and by countless people around the world.

"During this period of mourning and change, my family and I will be comforted and sustained by our knowledge of the respect and deep affection in which the Queen was so widely held."

Featured image credit: ZUMA Press, Inc. / Alamy