King Charles appointed Rishi Sunak prime minister, 49 days after the late queen approved Liz Truss’s brief spell at the top.
Her Majesty welcomed Mr. Sunak, at 42, Britain’s youngest Prime Minister, to Buckingham Palace this morning for the ceremonial procedure.
Moments earlier, Mrs. Truss met with Charles to deliver her notice, effective immediately.
In a statement, Buckingham Palace said: “The Right Honorable Elizabeth Truss MP had an audience with the King this morning and tendered her resignation as Prime Minister and First Lord of the Treasury, which Her Majesty was pleased to accept.”
Sunak will expect an introduction from the new monarch that draws less attention than the one his predecessor received.
Televised footage of Mrs Truss’s meeting with Charles showed him muttering ‘dear, oh dear’ as some of his first words to her.
Just over a month earlier, he had been to the late queen’s final engagements before her death.
Unusually, and due to Her Majesty’s health, he had traveled to Balmoral to meet her as Prime Minister.
King Charles III receives Rishi Sunak during an audience at Buckingham Palace, London, where he invited the newly elected leader of the Conservative Party to become Prime Minister and form a new government.
King Carlos III asked Rishi Sunak to form a new government, which he accepted and will begin work today.
King Charles seemed in high spirits as he warmly welcomed Mr Sunak as he officially appointed him Prime Minister.
King Charles threw a wave of joy as he arrived at Buckingham Palace to accept Liz Truss’s resignation and meet Rishi Sunak
Outgoing Prime Minister Liz Truss, with her husband Hugh O’Leary, is greeted by King Charles III’s equerry, Lieutenant Colonel Johnny Thompson, as he arrives at Buckingham Palace to deliver his notice.
The newly elected leader of the Conservative Party, Rishi Sunak, arrives at Buckingham Palace, London, for an audience with King Charles III, where he will be invited to become Prime Minister and form a new government.
Welcome to Buckingham Palace! Rishi Sunak is greeted as he arrives to meet King Charles and is asked to form a government.
King Charles III met Prime Minister Liz Truss during his weekly audience at Buckingham Palace on October 22 this year.
Queen Elizabeth receives Liz Truss during an audience in which she invited the newly elected leader of the Conservative Party to become Prime Minister in the last act before her death
Prime Minister Liz Truss resigned from her post on Thursday, sparking the second Tory leadership contest in as many months.
Sunak’s date with Charles will take place in the palatial surroundings of Buckingham Palace in London.
It will be the first time in the new king’s reign that he will ask a new prime minister to form an administration.
The form of the greeting between Mr. Sunak and Charles is currently unclear, as previously Truss, Boris Johnson and Theresa May kissed the Queen’s hand.
After it takes place, Buckingham Palace will issue a Royal Communication confirming that Charles has “requested that he form a new administration”.
The new prime minister will then give his own address to the nation from outside number 10 and concentrate on forming his first cabinet.
Aides have insisted that Sunak create a “big top” instead of just promoting his allies as Truss did. Jeremy Hunt is almost certain to remain as chancellor, a week before the crucial Halloween budget and after markets have calmed down a bit, while Grant Shapps could keep the Home Office.
Liz Truss (pictured announcing her resignation last week) is convening her cabinet for the last time and will deliver a valedictorian speech in Downing Street shortly after 10am.
Rishi Sunak has been appointed as the new Prime Minister today (pictured with 1922 Committee officials) after Boris Johnson sensationally dropped out of the Tory leadership race last night.
But he is expected to find a big job for his leadership rival Penny Mordaunt, as well as right-wingers like Suella Braverman and Kemi Badenoch. There could also be returns for Michael Gove, Dominic Raab and former education secretary Gavin Williamson.
Foreign Secretary James Cleverly, who backed Truss over the summer and then Boris Johnson’s failed comeback attempt over the weekend, is likely to give way, possibly to Mordaunt.
An early area of tension will be military spending, with the respected Defense Secretary Ben Wallace seen at risk after Sunak refused to commit to raising budgets to 3 percent of GDP by 2030.
The new prime minister told MPs yesterday that he wanted his government to represent the “views and opinions” of the entire Conservative Party.
Shapps became Home Secretary last week after Suella Braverman was sacked.
Sunak vowed to lead No. 10 with “integrity and humility” but warned of “profound challenges” ahead as he prepares to begin his term.
Sunak’s wife, Akshata Murthy, hails from the Indian business aristocracy: her father is Narayana Murthy, a billionaire sometimes dubbed the ‘Bill Gates of India’ who founded an Infosys software company in the early 1980s and is now he is the sixth richest man in the country.
He introduced himself as ‘Mr. Spreadsheet ‘during the last race for the leadership in the summer before retiring and supporting the good friend of his, Mr. Sunak.
Sunak may want to reward his loyalty and avoid further turmoil at the Interior Ministry, but he could give the job to one of his right-wing supporters.
Suella Braverman is thought unlikely to return to work, but Dominic Raab could be promoted.
Elsewhere, Defense Secretary Ben Wallace is not a natural Sunak supporter and said he was “inclined to” back Johnson.
A potential showdown over defense spending also looms.
Sources suggested he could resign if Liz Truss’ promise to raise it to 3 percent of GDP by the end of the decade is broken.
However, allies said last night that Wallace had no plans to resign and was willing to continue talking with Sunak.
Losing him could also undermine attempts to unite the party. Scores high in polls of Tory supporters.
James Heappey, a junior defense minister and rising star, endorsed Sunak for the leadership and could be promoted.
