Although Sir Keir Starmer swept the general election and won one of the largest majorities in Labour’s history, he still had to first approve his new government with King Charles.
As is conventional, the leader of the winning party must travel to Buckingham Palace, where the monarch invites him to form a new government.
The incoming prime minister will then “kiss the hands” of the monarch, confirming his role as leader of the country in an official tradition.
A statement released by Buckingham Palace this afternoon said: ‘The King today received in audience the Right Honourable Sir Keir Starmer MP and asked him to form a new Administration.
‘Sir Keir accepted Her Majesty’s offer and kissed her hand on being appointed Prime Minister and First Lord of the Treasury.’
Prime Minister Keir Starmer shakes hands with King Charles today in the Private Audience Room at Buckingham Palace, where he is officially invited to form the next government following Labour’s landslide victory in the general election.
The Prime Minister and the King sit in the Private Audience Chamber, where the monarch usually holds private meetings, as Sir Keir takes over the government.
Today, King Charles welcomed new Prime Minister Keir Starmer to the Audience Room at Buckingham Palace, an ornately decorated mint-green room where the monarch normally holds private meetings.
While he has retained many of his late mother’s features and decorations in the room, Charles has also put his own spin on aspects of the grand space within the royal residence.
Here’s FEMAIL’s guide to the intimate King Charles meeting space, where only the most exclusive guests are lucky enough to set foot…
The Queen today held her weekly audience with Prime Minister Boris Johnson at Buckingham Palace for the first time in 18 months.
1. English gilded mirror
Above the porcelain birds is an English gilt mirror, believed to be worth over £30,000. The mirror reflects another mirror on another wall in the room.
2. Clock
Opposite the mirror is a clock made of white marble and gilt bronze, valued at at least £4,000.
3. 17th century French carpet
The patterned carpet in the Private Audience Chamber is brown with gold edging and covers much of the floor space.
4. Photograph of the royal cousins, possibly King Carl Gustav and Queen Silvia of Sweden.
The king displays many photographs of his royal cousins on his side table, but this official portrait is difficult to identify. It appears to be King Carl Gustav and Queen Silvia of Sweden.
Charles appears to prefer photographs of more distant relatives in the room, breaking with his late mother’s preference for portraits of closer relatives.
For example, she showed engagement photos of Harry and Meghan and Kate and William on the side during her reign, as well as photos of King Charles and Princess Anne.
5. Photograph of King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima of the Netherlands
As one of the many photographs on King Charles’ drawing board, the snapshot of the Dutch king and queen takes pride of place.
Dutch King Willem-Alexander is King Charles’ sixth cousin. He is a descendant of Princess Caroline, while King Charles’ lineage also goes back to Princess Caroline through his great-grandmother Queen Mary.
6. Photograph of Queen Margaret
Another of the photographs of foreign royalty on display in King Charles’s private audience room is that of Queen Margrethe of Denmark.
The former queen, now 84, abdicated in a shock announcement on New Year’s Eve 2023. She was succeeded by her son, King Frederick X.
7. Art of the 18th century
On the wall behind the King and the Prime Minister is a painting by Canaletto dating from about 1750-51.
The piece, entitled The Thames from Somerset House Terrace towards the City, is part of a set created by the Italian artist during his stay in London.
He recently replaced another painting by the same artist, which had hung in the room for years and is believed to be worth more than £2 million.
8. Flowers
The King’s fondness for flowers is evident, as he has chosen to fill his desk with bouquets in official photos since he ascended to the throne.
In this particular bouquet, she has opted for orange lilies, what appear to be blue wallflowers, eucalyptus and hydrangeas.
