To mark the passing of the late Sovereign, Queen Elizabeth II, Stroud Town Council will hold a ceremony on the Subscription Rooms forecourt, George Street, Stroud, today, 4pm.
The Mayor, Cllr Stella Parkes, will read a proclamation to the people of Stroud marking the beginning of our new King Charles III’s reign.
The proclamation of the new Sovereign is a centuries-old tradition. The ceremony does not create a new King. It is simply an announcement of the accession which took place immediately on the death of the reigning monarch.
In bygone days the ceremony would have been the means by which people learnt for the first time that they had a new Monarch. In the modern age news travels almost instantly around the world, but this ceremony still provides an opportunity for our community to come together and reflect on the moment in our nation’s history when the reign of our longest-serving Monarch came to an end and our new Sovereign succeeded to the throne.
Cllr Parkes said: “Stroud Town Council is saddened by the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and joins the nation, and the world, to grieve the loss of an incredible life dedicated to service. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Royal Family at this deeply sad time.”
An area for floral tributes will be provided on the forecourt of the Subscription Rooms. After the funeral the flowers will be collected and composted, so please avoid plastic/cellophane. The compost will be used to fertilise a tree which will be planted in memory of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II by the Town Mayor at a suitable location in Stroud.
There will be a Book of Condolence available for members of the community to sign, at the Town Council offices between the hours of 9.30am – 12.30pm Monday to Friday.
The Town Council will also accept online submissions for a virtual Book of Condolence through the contact form on our website. Submissions will then be collated and included in a Book of Condolence.
Following the funeral all messages will be bound in a book with a photograph of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and her birth/death years and a message from the Town Mayor which will be placed on deposit with the Gloucestershire Archives.
The Buckingham Palace e-Book of Condolence can be accessed on The Royal Household website.
