International

King Charles gets unexpected kiss on return to Buckingham Palace

King Charles III accepted a kiss on the cheek from a woman as he greeted members of the public for the first time as monarch on Friday. 

Charles and Queen Consort Camilla returned to Buckingham Palace in London on Friday after his predecessor and mother, Queen Elizabeth II, died at age 96 on Thursday. 

Charles walked near the crowd that gathered outside the palace and shook hands with several of his subjects. He stopped briefly in front of a woman who asked if she could kiss him, and he accepted, video shows

The Daily Telegraph, a British daily newspaper, reported that Camilla followed closely behind Charles as he met with the crowd before joining with him to observe the flowers that had been left at the palace’s gates in honor of Elizabeth. 

The Telegraph reported that cheers of Charles’s name could be heard as he walked down the line of people. 

Charles is set to give a televised address to his people at 6 p.m. local time, and Parliament will swear allegiance to him.