The new King has affirmed the independence of the Church of Scotland from Government as one of his first acts.

King Charles III was formally declared head of state during a historic ceremony televised for the first time.

At a meeting of the Accession Council, attended by privy councillors at St James’s Palace in London, he was formally proclaimed King.

The privy council
Members of the privy council gathered for the Accession Council (Jonathan Brady/PA)

The ceremony came two days after the death of his mother at Balmoral in Scotland on Thursday.

After the formal ceremony, King Charles III made an oath “relating to the security of the Church of Scotland”.

This oath is taken at the point of accession to the Crown, with Charles saying he was “ready to do so at this first opportunity”.

Buckingham Palace confirmed he had declared: “I, Charles III, by the grace of God of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and of my other realms and territories, King, Defender of the Faith, do faithfully promise and swear that I shall inviolably maintain and preserve the settlement of the true protestant religion as established by the laws made in Scotland in prosecution of the Claim of Right, and particularly by an Act intituled “An Act for securing the Protestant Religion and Presbyterian Church Government” and by the Acts passed in the Parliament of both Kingdoms for Union of the two Kingdoms, together with the Government, Worship, Discipline, Rights and Privileges of the Church of Scotland.”