King Charles Appoints Big Change With Buckingham Palace Ceremony

Marisa Losciale
·2 min read
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.

King Charles III officially appointed Sir Keir Starmer as Britain's new prime minister following the July 4 special election.

Thursday's election results marked the end of a 14-year-long trend of electing Conservative leaders to government. While Starmer won the election in what's been described as a landslide win, it wasn't until Charles formerly met with the 61-year-old on Friday, July 5, that the Labour Party leader was granted the powers associated with the position and title.

Starmer replaces departing Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and is the third PM the 75-year-old monarch–who is also battling cancer–has seen since he began his reign just under two years ago.

Related: How King Charles' Latest Change Affects Female Members of the Royal Family

Anna Whitelock, professor of history of the monarchy at London’s City University, explained the process to The Associated Press, telling reporters: "There’s a tiny window where between the exiting prime minister, and officially the appointment of the new one, where technically power resides for those few minutes with the monarch."

"So there’s a brief moment where there’s effectively a kind of vacuum in terms of parliamentary democracy. … But, of course, straight away there is that moment where the new prime minister is appointed," Whitelock said.

That moment the new prime minister is appointed is part of a larger ceremony at Buckingham Palace, known as the “Kissing of Hands," during which the king presents the elected with a proposition to form a government and Starmer accepts by bowing and shaking Charles' hand.

LONDON, ENGLAND - JULY 5: King Charles III welcomes Sir Keir Starmer during an audience at Buckingham Palace, where he invited the leader of the Labour Party to become Prime Minister and form a new government following the landslide General Election victory for the Labour Party, on July 5, 2024, in London, England. The Labour Party won a landslide victory in the 2024 general election, ending 14 years of Conservative government.<p>WPA Pool/Getty Images</p>

Thursday's results and Friday's ceremony also mean that the royal family can continue with their summer engagements, as Charles and Queen Camilla, Prince William, and several other members had previously postponed certain events in an effort not to divert attention from the special election.

Next: New Portrait of King Charles Released Amid Cancer Battle as Queen Camilla Sends Message of Thanks