Canada proclaimed Charles its king on Saturday in a ceremony at the official residence of the governor general in Ottawa, the monarch’s representative in Canada who acts as head of state on behalf of the crown, Reuters and Agerpres reported.

King Charles IIIPhoto: Lafargue Raphael/ABACA / Shutterstock Editorial / Profimedia

Earlier in the Palace of St. James of London proclaimed Charles sovereign. Ceremonies are protocol and officially formalize the change of the head of state.

Charles, 73, automatically became king of the United Kingdom and head of state of 14 other kingdoms, including Canada, after his mother, Queen Elizabeth, died on Thursday aged 96.

Canada declared 10 days of mourning for the Queen.

Although Canada ceased to be a colony of Great Britain in 1867, it remained part of the British Empire until 1982 and is still a member of the Commonwealth of Former Empires, with the British monarch as head of state.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Governor General Mary Simon signed an executive order announcing the new sovereign after a cabinet meeting.

The sound of trumpets preceded the reading of the decree proclaiming the new monarch in English and French. The ceremony ended with a 21-gun volley and the performance of the hymn “God save the king” by the brass band of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.