King Charles III, Queen Consort Camilla arrive at Buckingham Palace

 King Charles III and Queen Consort Camilla arrived at Buckingham Palace in London on Friday (local time) and are meeting mourners, following the death of Queen Elizabeth II.

Buckingham Palace is swarmed with waves of mourners held back by barriers as King Charles III met the crowds.

King Charles III received a warm reception as he passed the crowds gathered outside Buckingham Palace.

He is expected to address the nation at 18:00 BST and hold his first audience with Prime Minister Liz Truss as king.

The King was offered bouquets of flowers and even a kiss on the cheek as he shook hands with those who had gathered to see him arrive.

People have been leaving flowers and tributes outside palaces and churches as the UK marks the death of Queen Elizabeth II.

The King's plane landed at RAF Northolt in west London just after 13:30 BST, reported UK-based media.

The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral Castle on Thursday afternoon at the age of 96.

Bells rang out at Westminster Abbey, St Paul's Cathedral and in Windsor at noon in tribute to the Queen, followed by gun salutes.

The Queen steered the monarchy through turbulent times, as Britain's Empire ended and its place in the world fundamentally changed.

She was head of state of the UK and 14 other countries, including Australia, Canada and Jamaica.

After the passing away of Queen Elizabeth on Thursday, King Charles will be officially proclaimed as Britain's new monarch at a meeting of the Accession Council at St James's Palace on Saturday.

King Charles III acceded to the throne immediately following the death of Elizabeth II on Thursday. He described losing his mother as "a moment of the greatest sadness for me and all members of my family".

During this period of mourning, he said he and his family would be "comforted and sustained by our knowledge of the respect and deep affection in which the Queen was so widely held".

He has been preparing to be King for his entire life and has chosen to use his Christian name for his title as monarch, just like his late beloved mother, Queen Elizabeth II.

The formal process of proclaiming him King will be carried out by the Accession Council - a group made up of Privy Counsellors, Great Officers of State, the Lord Mayor of London, Realm High Commissioners and senior civil servants.

It is split into two parts. The first approves various consequential orders including the arrangements, without the King present.

The second involves the King holding his first Privy Council, making his declaration and reading and signing an oath to uphold the security of the Church in Scotland (as unlike in England, Church and State are separate there) and approve orders which facilitate continuity of government.