COURT CIRCULAR

Buckingham Palace

The King held a Council at 4pm.

There were present: the Rt Hon Melvyn Stride MP (Acting Lord President and Secretary of State for Work and Pensions), the Rt Hon Stephen Barclay MP (Secretary of State for Health and Social Care), the Rt Hon Gillian Keegan MP (Secretary of State for Education), the Rt Hon Oliver Dowden MP, the Rt Hon Grant Shapps MP, the Rt Hon Michelle Donelan MP and the Rt Hon Lucy Frazer MP.

The Rt Hon Dame Sarah Falk was sworn in as a Member of His Majesty’s Most Honourable Privy Council.

The Rt Hon Oliver Dowden MP took the Oath of Office, kissed hands upon appointment and received the Seals of Office as Secretary of State in the Cabinet Office.

The Rt Hon Grant Shapps MP took the Oath of Office, kissed hands upon appointment and received the Seals of Office as Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero (Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy).

The Rt Hon Michelle Donelan MP took the Oath of Office, kissed hands upon appointment and received the Seals of Office as Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology.

The Rt Hon Lucy Frazer MP took the Oath of Office, kissed hands upon appointment and received the Seals of Office as Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (Digital, Culture, Media and Sport).

Mr Richard Tilbrook was in attendance as Clerk of the Council.

The Rt Hon Melvyn Stride MP had an audience of His Majesty before the Council.

The Rt Hon Sir Clive Alderton (Principal Private Secretary to Their Majesties) and the Rt Hon Sir Edward Young (Joint Principal Private Secretary to His Majesty) were in attendance.

Later, the Rt Hon Rishi Sunak MP (Prime Minister and First Lord of the Treasury) had an audience of The King.

By command of His Majesty, Mr Alistair Harrison (Marshal of the Diplomatic Corps) called upon His Excellency Mr Sebastian Mateo Corral Bustamante at 3 Hans Crescent, London SW1, this morning in order to bid farewell to His Excellency upon relinquishing his appointment as Ambassador from the Republic of Ecuador to the Court of St James’s.

St James’s Palace

The Princess Royal, accompanied by Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, today carried out the following engagements in Wellington, New Zealand:

Her Royal Highness this morning called upon the Rt Hon Christopher Hipkins MP (Prime Minister of New Zealand) at the Executive Wing, New Zealand Parliament Grounds, 40 Bowen Street, 1 Molesworth Street and 1 Museum Street, Pipitea.

The Princess Royal subsequently visited the National Crisis Management Centre at the Executive Wing, New Zealand Parliament Grounds.

Her Royal Highness later visited the Museum of New Zealand, Te Papa Tongarewa, 55 Cable Street, Te Aro.

The Princess Royal, Colonel-in-Chief, Royal New Zealand Corps of Signals, this afternoon attended a Reception at Government House to mark the Centenary of the Corps.

Her Royal Highness afterwards attended a Service of Remembrance and laid a wreath at the National War Memorial at Pukeahu National War Memorial Park, State Highway 1, Te Aro.

The Princess Royal this evening attended a Dinner at Government House.