Andy Burnham, the former mayor of Greater Manchester and new leader of the Labour Party, took the final steps on Monday to succeed Keir Starmer and become Britain's seventh prime minister in a decade.
The affable Burnham returned to Parliament in June by winning a risky special election and was sworn in as a member on July 12, hours after the unpopular Starmer announced his resignation to end a tenure of just two years in office.
Starmer traveled the mile from Downing Street to Buckingham Palace on Monday to formally tell King Charles III that he was resigning and Charles accepted, Buckingham Palace said.
The 56-year-old Burnham then arrived at the palace and accepted the invitation by Charles to become Prime Minister and form a new government, in a moment known as “kissing hands.”
Earlier, outgoing premier Keir Starmer, made his farewell speech outside 10 Downing Street, telling supporters that "my work is done" and that he was leaving with "good grace" and a "smile".