Gun salute in London marks proclamation of King Charles III

King Charles III was officially announced as Britain’s monarch Saturday, in a pomp-filled ceremony steeped in ancient tradition and political symbolism – and, for the first time, broadcast live.

Gun salutes rang out in Hyde Park, at the Tower of London and at military sites around the U.K. as the proclamation was announced.

Charles automatically became king when his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, died on Thursday, but the accession ceremony is a key constitutional and ceremonial step in introducing the new monarch to the country.