Britons were greeted with the sight of their king on his throne on Monday (Sept. 12) as King Charles III sat on the throne for the first time since the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II. King Charles, 73, and his wife, Camila, Queen Consort, met with 900 members of the legislative body, as well as members of the House of Lords, all of which expressed their condolences following the queen’s death on Sept. 8. Charles said he was “deeply grateful” for the support. He also pledged support for the country’s constitutional monarch, per PEOPLE.

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