Today, in the City of London, HM King Charles III was proclaimed king in the City of London, as you can see in this video:
Here is an account of this event in London 475 years ago, when Henry VIII passed and Edward VI was proclaimed king in London and the Kingdom – Volume 1 by Author: Reginald R. Sharpe
On the 28th January, 1547, Henry died “at hys most pryncely howse at Westminster, comenly called Yorkeplace or Whytehall”—the palace which Cardinal Wolsey built for himself, and which Henry appropriated, extending its grounds and preserves in cynical contempt of public convenience and utter disregard of the chartered rights of the citizens of London.1262 There his corpse remained until the 14th February, when it was removed at 8 o’clock in the morning to Sion House, near Richmond, and thence conveyed to Windsor on the following day.
Edward VI proclaimed king in the city, 31 Jan., 1547.
In the meantime the mayor, Henry Huberthorne, or Hoberthorne,1263 had been sent for (31 Jan.) to attend the king’s council at Westminster, where he received orders to return to the city and cause himself and his brother aldermen to be arrayed in their scarlet robes, in order to accompany the heralds whilst they proclaimed the new king in various parts of the city. This being done, the mayor took steps for securing the peace of the city, and the citizens voted Edward a benevolence of a fifteenth and a half.1264Distribution of gowns of black livery.
Edward on his part presented the mayor and aldermen with 104 gowns of black livery, according to the precedent followed at the decease of Henry VII.[pg 419] These gowns were distributed among the mayor and aldermen, the high officers and certain clerks in the service of the Corporation. Ten aldermen accompanied the remains of the late king on their way to Windsor, riding forth in black coats with the rest of the mourners, the harness and bridles of their horses being covered with black cloth. Two of the aldermen, Sir William Laxton and Sir Martin Bowes, had each four servants in their suite, whilst the rest of the aldermen had three, all in black coats
Sir Rowland Hill was among those aldermen, had already served as a sheriff and would be Lord Mayor himslef withing two years, at a deeply momentous moment.
