King Charles III has arrived in London and took the rare step of greeting huge crowds of well-wishers in person at Buckingham Palace.

Cries of “God save the King!” rang out as the King and Camilla, the Queen Consort arrived at the palace in a black car. They stopped at the entrance and emerged from the vehicle to speak to the people at the barricades, many of whom had spent hours waiting outside in often rainy weather.

King Charles took the time to chat and shake hands with people. One woman kissed his hand and another kissed him on the cheek.

They then walked along the forecourt outside the palace gates, waving to the crowds and inspecting the hundreds of flower arrangements, cards and notes left by members of the public.

The King and Queen Consort flew down from Balmoral on board an RAF jet and drove to Buckingham Palace.

The Reuters news agency spoke to some of the people who met the King.

“I said thank you for coming and I’m so sorry, and he said thank you to me,” said Denise Berriman, one of those the new king spoke to during his impromptu 10-minute walkabout after stopping his car outside the palace gates.

“Then I told Camilla to look after Charles, and she said ‘I’ll try’. I was amongst the first people to shake the hand of the King of England. I was two-and-a-half when Elizabeth became queen, and we will never have someone like her again, and I’m 73 now watching her son become king.”