Cardinal Vincent Nichols, President of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales, has given the Loyal Address of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales to His Majesty King Charles III at Buckingham Palace.

The address was given on Friday 3 February 2023, in the presence of the Apostolic Nuncio, Archbishop Miguel Maury Buendía, and the Cardinal's Secretary, Father Dominic Robinson.

The Loyal Address from the Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales to His Majesty King Charles III:

Most Gracious Sovereign,

We, the Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales, humbly beg leave to approach Your Majesty, on the occasion of Your Majesty's Accession to the Throne, with an expression of our heartfelt loyalty and devotion, and of our fervent prayers for the happiness and prosperity of Your Majesty and of the Royal Family.

We give thanks to Almighty God for the blessing of the reign of Your Majesty's beloved mother, Queen Elizabeth II, who so faithfully served her people through the years of her long reign, and whose wise and gracious example has won the admiration of the world.

We pray that Your Majesty's reign may be graced by the gifts of wisdom and understanding in the discharge of Your Majesty's great responsibilities, and that Your Majesty may be sustained and consoled by the loyal affection and prayers of all Your Majesty's peoples.

We ask that, in Your Majesty's reign, the respect of every individual be firmly upheld, and that all people be able to live in freedom and in peace. We pledge ourselves to work alongside Your Majesty, and all who serve the Common Good of our nation, in the care especially of those who are poor and vulnerable, of those who suffer, and of those who carry great burdens. We commit ourselves to building a society in which every person knows that they are loved and cherished, with every child welcomed and all elderly people treated with honour and respect.

We assure Your Majesty of our prayers that God, the Author of all authority, will bestow on Your Majesty the gifts of prudence and discernment, bless Your Majesty with good health and many years, and bestow on Your Majesty and all the Royal Family abundance of His divine favour.

Given at the Spring Plenary Meeting of the Bishops' Conference, held at Oscott College, Birmingham, 23 November 2022, and signed by all the members present.

+ Vincent Cardinal Nichols, Archbishop of Westminster and President of the Bishops' Conference of England and Wales