Although Rishi Sunak has been named the new leader of Britain’s governing Conservative Party, another set of procedures is required before he becomes prime minister.
First, Liz Truss, who resigned as leader on Thursday, will visit Buckingham Palace to formally stand down. Mr. Sunak will then meet with the monarch, who will ask him to form a government in a ceremony known as “kissing hands,” though no hands are actually kissed.
For the first time, that monarch will be King Charles III. He ascended the throne last month after the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, who appointed 15 prime ministers during her 70-year reign.
New party leaders typically arrive at Buckingham Palace in their own car and leave in the prime minister’s official vehicle. Mr. Sunak was also heading to Downing Street, the leader’s official residence, to make a speech that includes a statement of intent for his time in office before entering Number 10 to begin that work.
This process was slightly different for Ms. Truss, the final premier to appear before Queen Elizabeth II, just two days before the monarch’s death at the age of 96.
Ms. Truss was invited to form a new government at Balmoral Castle in Scotland, where the queen had been living in the final days of her life. An image of the frail but smiling former sovereign meeting Ms. Truss was the last image of Queen Elizabeth II to be released publicly. Ms. Truss, who announced her resignation on Thursday, is the shortest-serving prime minister in British history.
