King Charles III has appointed the third prime minister of his reign, after Sir Keir Starmer’s Labour Party secured a landslide victory in Britain’s general election on July 4.

The king called Starmer to Buckingham Palace at 12 p.m. London time, or 7 a.m. ET, on Friday to officially ask him to form a government in the monarch’s name, which is the British equivalent of a swearing-in ceremony.

“Kissing hands” is the historic name for the ceremony, which dates back to a time when prime ministers would physically kiss the hands of the king or queen upon their appointment. Over time, the gesture has been discontinued.

The meeting between the monarch and prime minister takes place in private and is the first of the weekly audiences that are held between the head of state and the head of government.

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Britain’s system of a constitutional monarchy means the sovereign’s role is to reign, not to rule. Though Charles is the head of state and national figurehead, he holds no political power.

The government, however, acts in the name of the monarch, and they hold constitutional and ceremonial functions. These include formally appointing the prime minister and other ministers of state, acting on the advice of the government, giving royal approval to bills that are signed into law, and opening and suspending parliamentary sessions.

In communication with the prime minister, the sovereign holds the right to be consulted on political matters, to encourage and to warn

On Friday, Charles and Starmer were photographed shaking hands in the formal audience room of Buckingham Palace, marking the beginning of a new premiership—a significant milestone in British political history as it ends 14 years of Conservative Party rule.