Thousands 'see history' at momentous Proclamation reading

In an ancient ceremony that dates back to the era before mass communication, sheriffs and mayors were sent out by the new monarch to tell communities across the country about the change at the top.

This time everyone in the Cornhill was aware that Charles had become king - but there was a clear wish by many people to feel a personal connection with events that were shaping the future of the country and the world.

During the short ceremony Suffolk High Sheriff Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton, a former Principal Private Secretary to the new Prince and Princess of Wales, read out the Proclamation that was first made to the Privy Council in London on Saturday.

Once that had been read, the National Anthem had been sung with its still unfamiliar changed words, and there hat been three cheers for King Charles, mayors and council chairs from towns across Suffolk took their copy of the Proclamation to read in their own communities.

Few in the crowd had ever seen a ceremony like this before. Roy Brockman, 78, is chair of the Ipswich branch of the Royal Naval Association.

He was there with his wife Joanna and friends from the Royal British Legion.

He said: "I can't remember this ceremony in 1952. I remember The Coronation because I lived at Clopton and Mr Palmer worked for Avis Cook in Ipswich. He got a television and climbed up a tree to put up the aerial so we could all watch it. All the kids from school went around his to see it.

Elizabeth Coombes who is a member of the RBL said: "It feels very important to come together to see this piece of history here."

That was a feeling shared by Nigel and Lesley Dunderdale who came into the town centre from their Great Blakenham home to take part in the event.

Mr Dunderdale said: "We really had to come here to mark this historical day. We are great supporters of The Queen and the Royal Family and wanted to be here when this happened.

"We were very sad and shocked at the news this week. She was the Mother of the Nation and helped to bring people together."

His wife agreed: "We have lost someone we all looked up to and also want to show our support to King Charles and his family."

Donna Sparrow was on the Cornhill with her family, including 10-year-old son Finlay, and said the events of the last few days had been a living history lesson.

She said: "Finlay has been asking all kinds of questions about The Queen and none of us have ever seen anything like this before.

"I was born in 1977, the year of the Silver Jubilee which everyone seemed to talk about when I was a child, so it is something new for us all to see this."

Donna is a Funeral Celebrant and said the expressions of loss and new beginnings were very important.

At the proclamation, the Punton family, made up of parents Chris and Sam, and children Kaitlyn, 11, Calleigh, nine, and William, five, were there to witness the historic moment.

Kaitlyn said: "I remember her [The Queen] as the longest reigning monarch ever."

Sam said: "He has just lost his mum and it must be hard to both mourn her and get on with your new role.

"We were saying he is going to be a really good King because he has watched his mother do it for such a long time. Everything she would have done, he is going to follow in those footsteps."

The Proclamation was read exactly at 1pm at the Cornhill, but people had started gathering about an hour earlier to get the best views of what was happening.

The event was accompanied by the Leiston Royal British Legion Band and there were representatives from the Army at Wattisham Air Station, from RAF Honington and Naval cadets from the Royal Hospital School in Holbrook.

The ceremony was introduced by the Lord Lieutenant of Suffolk, Clare Countess of Euston, before the reading by the High Sheriff.

That was then repeated at 23 Suffolk towns with deputy lieutenants introducing their mayors or chairs.