King Charles III's words of tribute to Prince William and Kate as they took on their new duties as Prince and Princess of Wales following the death of Queen Elizabeth II have gone viral, gaining over 100,000 views after resurfacing on social media site, TikTok.
Charles became king on September 8, 2022, when his mother, Queen Elizabeth, died at the age of 96 while staying at her Scottish vacation home of Balmoral Castle.
Elizabeth was Britain's longest reigning sovereign, passing the milestone of 70 years on the throne seven months before she died. At the time of his accession, Charles was the oldest monarch to take over the throne, as well as having been the longest serving Prince of Wales.
The Prince of Wales title is the highest held by a member of the British royal family apart from those belonging to the king and queen. It is a title personally bestowed by the monarch on their heir.
Uploaded to TikTok by user, princessmiddleton_, on September 20, footage from Charles' first address to the nation as king, one day after his accession, shows the new monarch paying tribute to his eldest son, William, and daughter-in-law, Kate, following the news that he had given them the Wales' titles earlier that day.
"With Catherine beside him," the king said, "our new Prince and Princess of Wales will, I know, continue to inspire and lead our national conversations, helping to bring the marginal to the center ground where vital help can be given."
An edited compilation of footage from William and Kate's recent public appearances is also included in the viral clip, with the caption: "It's been over a year now since William and Catherine were created the Prince and Princess of Wales ❤️."
@princessmiddleton_ It's been over a year now since William and Catherine were created the Princess and Princess of Wales ❤️ #princewilliam #princesscatherine #katemiddleton #catherineprincessofwales #princeandprincessofwales #kingcharles #fyp #foryoupage #royalfamily #princeofwales #princessofwales #edit #theroyalfamily ♬ original sound - ~Princess Catherine~
The clip has received over 150,000 views on the social media platform as well as gaining in excess of 12,000 likes and numerous comments, many of which have praised the royal couple.
"Prince William sure chose the perfect woman to be at his side...they truly are the 'jewels in the crown' to reign one day as King and Queen❤️," wrote one user.
"Well said King Charles 🥰," posted another, with a further comment reading: "Our future King William & Queen Catherine 🥰🥰🥰."
Since taking on their new titles, the royal couple have increased their appearances in Wales, as well as more generally around the U.K.
In addition to attending state events such as the coronation and Trooping the Colour, William launched a nationwide homelessness campaign "Homewards" in July, while Kate launched her early years awareness project "Shaping Us," earlier in the year.
James Crawford-Smith is Newsweek's royal reporter, based in London. You can find him on Twitter at @jrcrawfordsmith and read his stories on Newsweek's The Royals Facebook page.
Do you have a question about King Charles III, William and Kate, Meghan and Harry, or their family that you would like our experienced royal correspondents to answer? Email royals@newsweek.com. We'd love to hear from you.
