KING CHARLES HONOR HIS MOTHER, QUEEN ELIZABETH II IN FIRST SPEECH AFTER HER

King Charles the third is expected to address the nation for the first time as sovereign later, following the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth the second.

Britain’s longest-reigning monarch died peacefully, surrounded by her family, at Balmoral in Scotland on Thursday.

The King is on his way to London, where he is also due to meet Prime Minister Liz Truss later.

Gun salutes will be fired and church bells will toll on Friday as the UK pays tribute to her reign.

There have been spontaneous gatherings and outpourings of emotion at Balmoral, Buckingham Palace and Windsor.

Members of the public have travelled to leave flowers, messages of thanks and condolence for the Queen and Royal Family, with many visibly tearful or overcome with emotion.

Union jacks are being flown at half mast and Parliament will gather later to pay tribute to her momentous 70-year reign.

The bells of St Paul’s Cathedral, Westminster Abbey and Windsor Castle are expected to toll at noon in tribute to her life and service.