The King and Queen are commemorating the life and service of Queen Elizabeth II with private prayers and a moment of reflection at a Scottish church.
The royal couple made the short journey by car from the nearby Balmoral Estate to Crathie Kirk where monarchs have worshipped since Queen Victoria.
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King thanks people for ‘love and support’
A small group of Balmoral estate workers, members of the public and pupils from Crathie Primary School had gathered close to the church.
The Rev Kenneth Mackenzie, minister of Crathie Kirk, who officiated at the event, said: “I think that those of us that did get to see the Queen in different situations, but particularly up here, felt it today, were reminded of the loss,” he said.
“And wherever they might be, in their own homes or wherever, I’m glad that people will have the opportunity to reflect and give some thanks for the life of the Queen.”
Crowds also gathered outside Buckingham Palace in central London and Windsor Castle and left written messages and flowers.
The event will be a deeply personal moment for the King, who became sovereign when his mother died peacefully on September 8 last year at Balmoral, aged 96, after reigning for 70 years.
The King has been staying at his Birkhall residence and Balmoral Castle in Aberdeenshire during the summer.
Sky News royal correspondent Laura Bundock said: “This has felt like a day where the whole family has been reflecting on what has been a huge, monumental year of change – for them as a family, and the wider country.”
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She added: “It was always going to be an emotional day, particularly for the King, and I’ve really reflected on the sense of symmetry we have – that the late Queen would always go to Sandringham to mark the anniversary of her father George VI’s death, that was where he died, and now we see the same moment mirrored by the King, as he chose to come to Balmoral Castle.”
Image: Queen Elizabeth II photographed by Cecil Beaton in October 1968. Pic: Royal Collection Trust/His Majesty King Charles III 2023
Prince Harry, who flew to London for a WellChild award ceremony on Thursday ahead of the start of the Invictus Games in Germany, also paid tribute to his grandmother.
He said: “I know exactly one year on that she is looking down on all of us tonight, happy we’re together, continuing to spotlight such an incredible community.”
Harry was spotted at St George’s Chapel in Windsor – the final resting place of the late Queen, this morning.
Bundock said some members of the Royal Family have been there to pay their respects in private.
Image: Pic: AP
The Prince and Princess of Wales, who visited the Welsh cathedral of St Davids for a short private service on Friday, also paid tribute, saying: “We all miss you.”
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The Prince and Princess of Wales marked the anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II’s death with a small service in St Davids.
The message written by William and Kate on X, formerly known as Twitter, read: “Today we remember the extraordinary life and legacy of Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth. We all miss you. W & C.”
Image: A picture of the late Queen outside Windsor Castle
Princess Eugenie wrote on Instagram: “Thinking of you today. Missing you so much but remembering what a life of service, love and dedication to everyone and to your family, who loved you so very much. Forever grateful to you. And always in my heart.”
It was followed by two red heart emojis and an image of a smiling Eugenie sat next to her grandmother on what appears to be a bench outside a cabin on the Balmoral estate.
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The King has also recorded a message and released a favourite photograph of his mother on the first anniversary of her death.
He recalled his mother with “great affection” and remembered her “devoted service” and “all she meant” to the country, and released a portrait of her taken by Cecil Beaton in 1968 when she was 42.
In it, she is standing side on to the camera, wearing her Garter robes and the Grand Duchess Vladimir’s Tiara, made of 15 interlaced diamond circles.
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In a short statement written and recorded at Balmoral Castle, where Queen Elizabeth II died, her son said: “In marking the first anniversary of Her Late Majesty’s death and my accession, we recall with great affection her long life, devoted service and all she meant to so many of us.
“I am deeply grateful, too, for the love and support that has been shown to my wife and myself during this year as we do our utmost to be of service to you all.”
Duchess of York Sarah Ferguson marked the anniversary by posting an update about the late Queen’s corgis on X.
She wrote: “As we mourn a year on, we also celebrate the wonderful times we shared with Her Late Majesty the Queen.
“She entrusted me with the care of her corgis Sandy and Muick and I am delighted to say they are thriving.”
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To mark Accession Day, bells rung at Westminster Abbey, while soldiers and horses who took part in the state funeral procession and proclamation salutes signifying the new reign performed anniversary gun salutes in the King’s honour.
Captain Amy Cooper – lead rider in the procession which carried the Queen’s coffin to lie in state in Westminster Hall – gave the order to fire a 41-gun salute at midday in London’s Hyde Park.
A 62-gun salute was also planned at the Tower of London by The Honourable Artillery Company.
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Gun salutes ring across UK
Rishi Sunak also paid tribute, noting her “sharp wit”.
With the “perspective of a year”, the prime minister said the “scale of Her Late Majesty’s service only seems greater”.
Remembering his meetings with her, he added: “I was struck by her wisdom, by her incredible warmth and grace, but also her sharp wit.”
Mr Sunak said while the country should be proud of the late Queen’s “remarkable legacy of service”, a “remarkable bond” between the country and the monarchy “continues to grow today under the reign of His Majesty The King”.
Image: Flowers have also been left outside Buckingham Palace
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said Queen Elizabeth II “always enjoyed a special bond with her people”.
He added: “It was a relationship built from her understanding that service of this great nation is the thread that unites sovereign and subject.”
A shake-up to the house-buying system which could cut a month off the time it takes – and slash around £700 from the moving bill – is on the table.
Changes could include requiring property sellers and estate agents to provide more information when a home is listed for sale, reducing the need for buyers to carry out searches and surveys.
Binding contracts could also be introduced at an earlier stage, reducing the risk of a chain collapsing.
The proposals could also deliver clearer information to consumers about estate agents and conveyancers, including their track record and expertise, along with new mandatory qualifications and a code of practice to drive up standards.
Housing Secretary Steve Reed said the proposals, which are the subject of a consultation, would help make “a simple dream, a simple reality”.
The government says it will set out a full roadmap in the new year after consulting on its proposals.
Image: Housing Secretary Steve Reed. Pic: PA
Mr Reed said: “Buying a home should be a dream, not a nightmare.
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“Our reforms will fix the broken system so hardworking people can focus on the next chapter of their lives.”
Officials believe the proposed package of reforms could cut around a month off the time it takes to buy a new home and save first-time buyers an average of £710.
People selling a home could face increased costs of around £310 due to the inclusion of upfront assessments and surveys.
Those in the middle of a chain would potentially gain a net saving of £400 as a result of the increased costs from selling being outweighed by lower buying expenses.
Wider use of online processes, including digital ID, could help make transactions smoother, the government argued, pointing to the Finnish digital real estate system which can see the process completed in around two weeks.
The consultation also draws on other jurisdictions, including the Scottish system where there is more upfront information and earlier binding contracts.
‘Process the same as for our grandparents’
The planned shake-up was welcomed by property websites and lenders.
Rightmove chief executive Johan Svanstrom said: “The home-moving process involves many fragmented parts, and there’s simply too much uncertainty and costs along the way.
Image: Looking for the perfect home on Rightmove. File pic: PA
“Speed, connected data and stakeholder simplicity should be key goals. We believe it’s important to listen to agents as the experts for what practical changes will be most effective, and we look forward to working with the government on this effort to improve the buying and selling process.”
Santander’s head of homes David Morris said: “At a time when technology has changed many processes in our lives, it is incredible that the process of buying a home – an activity that is a cornerstone of our economy – remains much the same for today’s buyers as it did for their grandparents.”
Conservative shadow housing minister Paul Holmes said that while Labour welcomed steps to digitise and speed up the process, the party risked “reinventing the last Labour government’s failed Home Information Packs – which reduced the number of homes put on sale, and duplicated costs across buyers and sellers”.
The Tories will pledge to make even further cuts to the foreign aid budget, as the party attempts to regain its reputation for fiscal responsibility in the wake of the Truss mini-budget.
Shadow chancellor Sir Mel Stride will unveil plans to cut overseas development aid to 0.1% of Gross National Income (GNI), down from the current 0.3%, cementing a sea change in the Conservative Party’s position on international aid.
In his keynote speech to the party conference in Manchester, Sir Mel will claim that his plans can save £47bn over the next parliament, which include cuts to welfare, the civil service, and green subsidies.
In the wake of the Truss mini-budget that saw the pound fall and interest rates soar, the senior MP will say that his party will “never, ever make fiscal commitments without spelling out exactly how they will be paid for”, and commit to fiscal responsibility.
A key part of Sir Mel’s plans to demonstrate that is to reduce foreign aid to 0.1% of GNI, or around £3bn per year – down from spending of an estimated £9.4bn in 2028-29.
The Boris Johnson government reduced aid spending to 0.5% of GNI in 2021, in order to pay for the vast public spending during the pandemic. Sir Keir Starmer announced a further cut to 0.3% of GNI earlier this year to pay for the increase in defence spending.
Bond, the network for organisations working in international development and humanitarian assistance, has hit out at the announcement, describing it as “reckless, short-sighted, and morally indefensible”.
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Its chief executive, Romilly Greenhill, told Conservatives at a fringe event at the Tory Party conference on Sunday: “Let’s just be really clear, such a policy would negatively impact millions of people around the world.
“It would harm deeply vital programmes being made in reducing, eradicating, killer diseases, and it would also severely undermine our ability to respond to devastating global crises.”
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Does it matter that foreign aid has been cut in the UK?
But the Tories say they “cannot justify taxing people in this country to pay for billions of spending abroad”, and it marks the death-knell of Tory former prime minister David Cameron’s target of spending 0.7% of GNI on aid, announced in 2011.
Welfare, green subsidies, and asylum hotels to face the chop
Another key area where Sir Mel will pledge to make savings will be the welfare system, where they claim £23bn can be cut.
He will say that narrowing the eligibility for sickness benefits, stopping claims from people with “low-level mental health problems” who could be treated instead, limiting the VAT subsidy for Motability, and reforming job-seeking obligations are key areas where savings can be made.
But a major change will be restricting welfare to British citizens – bringing Tory party policy in line with Reform UK.
But he will vow to reverse any decision from the current Labour government to lift the two-child benefit cap, which stands in contrast with Nigel Farage’s party that wants to lift it.
Sir Mel is expected to say the reforms are essential not just for balancing the books, but for tackling the deeper social damage caused by long-term dependency.
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Tories would quit European Convention on Human Rights
Another key target of the shadow chancellor is the civil service, where he will argue that £8bn in savings can be made by reducing the headcount from 517,000 down to 2016 levels of 384,000.
Scrapping the Climate Change Act and “costly and ineffective green subsidies being pushed by Ed Miliband” is also on Sir Mel’s agenda. The Tories say there are savings of £1.6bn a year to be made in this area.
And closing all asylum hotels will save at least £3.5bn, the Tories say – at least £1.6bn of which they have already allocated to their new ICE-style “removals force”, to detain and remove 150,000 illegal migrants per year.
In his speech, Sir Mel Stride MP is expected to say: “The Conservative Party will never, ever make fiscal commitments without spelling out exactly how they will be paid for.
“We’re the only party that gets it. The only party that will stand up for fiscal responsibility. We must get on top of government spending.
“We cannot deliver stability unless we live within our means. No more pretending we can keep spending money we simply do not have.”
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But Labour Party chair Anna Turley said: “The Tories let welfare bills, civil service numbers and asylum hotel use skyrocket on their watch – and they’ve never apologised. Now they want to rehash failed promises from their failed manifesto to try to solve the problems they caused.
“This is the same old Tories, with the same old policies. They didn’t work then and you can’t trust them now.”
And Liberal Democrat Treasury spokeswoman Daisy Cooper said it was “clear the Conservative Party learnt absolutely nothing from their disastrous handling of the economy, which left families struggling with a cost-of-living crisis and public services on their knees”.
She added: “Cutting vital support to bring household bills down, trying to balance the books on the backs of people with mental health conditions and slashing the UK’s soft power abroad through aid budget cuts shows Trussonomics is still in full swing.”
The streets of Britain have turned into “theatres of intimidation”, Kemi Badenoch has warned in a speech to mark the opening of the Conservative Party Conference in Manchester.
Speaking just days after a terror attack at a synagogue in the city left two people dead, the Tory leader claimed extremism “has gone unchecked” in the UK.
She said this had manifested in Pro-Palestine protests which are “in fact carnivals of hatred directed at the Jewish homeland”.
She cited the use of “asinine slogans” such as ‘Globalise the Intifada’, saying this “means nothing at all, if it doesn’t mean targeting Jewish people for violence”.
Ms Badenoch added: “So the message from this conference, from this party, from every decent and right-thinking person in this country must be that we will not stand for it any more. We cannot import and tolerate values hostile to our own.
“We must now draw a line and say that in Britain you can think what you like, and within the bounds of the law you can say what you like, but you have no right to turn our streets into the theatres of intimidation and we will not let you do so any more.“
Nearly 500 people were arrested over protests supporting the proscribed group Palestine Action in central London on Saturday.
Demonstrators defied calls from political leaders, including Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, to reconsider the event out of respect for the grief of the British Jewish community.
The chief of the Metropolitan Police, Sir Mark Rowley, also called for the event to be postponed, saying he was worried resources would be stretched and the ability of the force to protect communities would be compromised.
Image: Supporters at this year’s Tory party conference greet their leader Kemi Badenoch. Pic: PA
She said that shadow Northern Ireland Secretary Alex Burghart will lead a review into a union-wide implementation of leaving the ECHR, so voters have “a clear, thorough and robust plan, not the vague mush that we see day in, day out from Labour, nor the vacuous posturing that we see day in, day out from Reform”.
The plan has been condemned by Former Conservative justice secretary and Lord Chancellor Robert Buckland, who lost his seat at the 2024 election.
“I have seen first-hand how deeply this issue touches our constitution, our Union, and our international standing. It would be a profound mistake to go down this path,” he wrote in an article for Conservative Home.
The comments reflect how the issue has long divided the party, with “one nation” moderates like Mr Buckland opposed to the idea of leaving the ECHR, and others seeing it as necessary to get a grip on illegal migration and tackle Reform UK.
In a sign she won’t shy away from that fight, Ms Badenoch told GB News earlier that every Conservative candidate must sign up to her plan to leave the ECHR, or they would be barred from standing at the next election.
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The Tories are languishing in the polls behind Reform and Labour after suffering their worst-ever defeat at the election last year.
Ms Badenoch, who was elected to lead the party last November, ended her speech acknowledging there was a “mountain to climb” but insisting she was up for the fight.
“Britain needs deep change. But I reject the politics that everything must go, that everything must be torn down, that everything is broken,” she said.
“If we leave it to Labour or Reform, Britain will be divided. Only the Conservatives can bring this country back together.
“So, I say to you all as we start our conference, yes, we have a mountain to climb, but we have a song in our hearts, and we are up for the fight.”