The King has marked the 400th anniversary of the Queen’s Chapel with a royal service.
Horns rang out as His Majesty entered the chapel, a stone’s throw from Buckingham Palace, on Wednesday evening.
He took his seat beside Princess Alexandra for the 40-minute service – attended by around 200 people.
It featured music by the Gentlemen and Children of His Majesty’s Chapel Royal Choir, accompanied by the Duchess of Edinburgh’s String Orchestra and the State Trumpeters of the Household Cavalry Band.
The service reflected the chapel’s early role as a place of worship for European courtiers.
After the celebration, the King viewed a newly commissioned piece of altar plate – the His Majesty King Charles III Ciboria – the first addition to the chapel’s silverware since 1688.
Made by St Ives silversmith Tim Lukes, the ceremonial cup includes the image of the Green Man, a symbol used during the King’s Coronation.
Outside huge crowds gathered to catch a glimpse of the King whilst police held up traffic.
Later, inside Friary Court, His Majesty shared a laugh with children from the Chapel Royal Choir.
He could be heard asking the youngsters: “You’ve been practicing already, have you?”
Built in 1625, the Queen’s Chapel was originally intended for the wedding of the future Charles I to Spanish princess Maria Anna.
It was later restored by Christopher Wren and has been part of the Chapel Royal since 1938.
