The Three Simple Words King Charles III Asked After His First Address To The Public

King Charles III became the leader of the United Kingdom upon the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, on September 8. While making his first public address to the nation, we were all reminded that in addition to becoming a king, he is also a man in mourning.

The king made his speech from the Drawing Room in Buckingham Palace, the same place — as noted by the Daily Mail – where Queen Elizabeth II often filmed her Christmas messages. With visible tears in his eyes, as seen in a clip posted by @theroyalfamilytiktok on TikTok, he spoke directly to his late mother. "And to my darling mama, as you begin your last great journey to join my dear late papa, I want simply to say this: Thank you. Thank you for your love and devotion to our family and to the family of nations you have served so diligently all these years. May flights of angels sing thee to thy rest," he said. 

A behind-the-scenes video was also released, posted to the Royal Family Channel on TikTok, and upon completion of his speech, King Charles III appears to ask, "Am I done?" As James Briggs, a Sky News producer, posted on Twitter, "When the king says 'am I done' it's hard for even the most hardened of people to not find sad."

The king is trying to keep his spirit up, however, as he does his duty. During his first meeting with Prime Minister Lizz Truss, captured by the Royal Family Channel on TikTok, he remarked of his mother's death, "The moment I've been dreading, as I know a lot of people have. Try to keep going."