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Following the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, a ceremony to proclaim His Majesty King Charles III as the new Sovereign took place outside of South Shields Town Hall at 3pm on Sunday afternoon.

The Deputy Lord Lieutenant of Tyne and Wear, Margaret Fay, paid tribute to the Queen before the Mayor of South Tyneside, Coun Pat Hay, read the Proclamation.

A rendition of ‘God Save the King’ was also played by Westoe Brass Band.

Mayor of South Tyneside Cllr Pat Hay, makes the proclamation of King Charles III, on the steps of South Shields Town Hall.

The Mayor said: “The proclamation of the new Sovereign is a very old tradition that dates back centuries.

“Although we mourn the sad death of Queen Elizabeth II, it is important that we mark the accession of King Charles III to the throne.

“Sunday will be one of the first key occasions when communities will have an opportunity to come together, to reflect on the passing of our country’s longest reigning Monarch and to mark a key moment in history as we proclaim our new Sovereign.”

Local proclamations across the country took place following His Majesty’s formal proclamation as Sovereign at a ceremony at St James’s Palace in London on Saturday.

Crowds gather to hear the proclamation of King Charles III, on the steps of South Shields Town Hall.

A new Sovereign succeeds to the throne on the death of the reigning monarch and is proclaimed as soon as possible at an Accession Council in St James’s Palace to announce the death of the Monarch and proclaim the succession of the new Sovereign.

To follow national protocol, Union flags which have been flying at half-mast at various Council buildings were raised to full-mast to mark the Accession on Saturday, and then lowered again to half-mast after the local and regional proclamations on Sunday.

The flag will now remain at half-mast until after the Queen’s funeral.

Books of condolence have been opened at South Shields and Jarrow Town Halls, Hebburn Central and The Word in South Shields.

Mayor of South Tyneside Cllr Pat Hay, making the proclamation of King Charles III, on the steps of South Shields Town Hall.

South Shields Town Hall is also being lit purple for the duration of the national mourning period.

The ceremony in South Tyneside took place as Scottish mourners lined the route of her coffin procession in their thousands as she left Balmoral for the last time to be taken to Edinburgh’s Palace of Holyroodhouse.

South Tyneside proclaims King Charles III