King Charles meets with new British Prime Minister at "kissing hands" ceremony

King Charles received an audience with Britain's newest Prime Minister this week, October 26, 2022.

The "kissing of the hands" ceremony was held at Buckingham Palace with His Majesty and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak MP, where King Charles requested a new Administration be formed.

In an image released by the Royal Family, the pair can be seen shaking hands surrounded by the lavish background of Buckingham Palace. 

The King appointed Rishi Sunak as leader of the U.K. Parliament following his victory in the contest to lead the Conservative Party on Monday.

Sunak is the first person of color, the first British-Asian, and the first Hindu to lead the United Kingdom.

Sunak was met by the King's two private secretaries, Sir Clive Alderson and Sir Edward Young, and Charles's equerry Lt. Col. Jonny Thompson and escorted to the audience in the palace's 1844 Room. 

Mr Sunak accepted His Majesty's offer and kissed hands upon his appointment as Prime Minister and First Lord of the Treasury.

The meeting is known as the "kissing the hands" ceremony, an ancient custom that now in the modern day is merely a symbolic gesture but at one point in history, the prime minister was actually required to kiss the sovereign’s hand to show their loyalty to the sovereign and the crown.

This is expected to be the only inside we will have on their meeting as TV cameras are not allowed inside to record.

The ceremony comes just over a month after King Charles' mother, the late Queen Elizabeth II,  met with former British Prime Minister, Liz Truss. With a tenure of 50 days in office, Ms Truss is the shortest-serving prime minister in the United Kingdom's history. 

Liz Truss, the shortest-serving British Prime Minister, met with the late Queen Elizabeth II on September 6, 2022