King Charles meets new Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer after thundering Labour victory
King Charles first invited Rishi Sunak to Buckingham Palace for his final audience, where he tendered his resignation as Prime Minister.
King Charles has officially appointed Sir Keir Starmer as the new UK Prime Minister, with a new picture showing the pair's first official meeting.
Buckingham Palace said in a statement: "The King received in Audience The Right Honourable Sir Keir Starmer MP today and requested him to form a new Administration. Sir Keir accepted His Majesty's offer and kissed hands upon his appointment as Prime Minister and First Lord of the Treasury.''
It was a significant moment as it marked the King’s first elected prime minister and the first change in political party for 14 years.
The Labour leader, who won a thundering majority in the 2024 General Election, arrived at Buckingham Palace to have his first audience with the King as Prime Minister shortly before noon.
But before that, the King had to meet with outgoing prime minister Rishi Sunak. He arrived with his wife Mrs Akshata Murphy shortly after 11am, having been driven through the North Centre Gate and across the Forecourt, into the Quadrangle.
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The pair were greeted at the sovereign’s entrance by an equerry and Sir Clive Alderton, the King’s private secretary, before being taken to meet the monarch.
Mr Sunak held a private audience with Charles in the Private Audience Room, where he tendered his resignation as PM and recommended that Sir Keir Stamer be invited to form a new Government.
As is the custom, Mrs Murty joined her husband at the end of the meeting. The pair then departed from Buckingham Palace privately.
The couple arrived shortly before noon in what can only be described as a seamless transition - the meetings are carefully planned to avoid the outgoing and incoming PM from having an awkward exchange.
Sir Keir and his wife Victora then arrived the same way the outgoing PM did, through the North Centre Gate and across the Forecourt, into the Quadrangle.
Sir Clive Alderton and Commander William Thornton greeted the couple before Sir Keir held a private audience with the King.
During the audience, the King invited the Labour leader to form a new Government.
The new prime minister no longer "kisses the hands" of the Monarch - which is how the meeting will be traditionally recorded in the Court Circular - but bowed instead.
Having accepted the “commission” to form a new government, Charles and his new prime minister had a brief exchange before being shown out by an equerry.
Sir Keir's wife Victoria was brought in to meet the King towards the end of the meeting.
It marks the second time he has conducted this constitutional duty since he ascended the throne in September 2022, as he invited Mr Sunak to form a government in October 2022 - after Liz Truss quit office after just 45 days.
Sir Keir becomes the King's third prime minister.
