LONDON (AP) — Bells have tolled around Britain and mourners are flocking to palace gates to honor Queen Elizabeth II. The country prepared Friday for a new age under a new king. King Charles III spent much of his 73 years preparing for the role. He planned to meet with the prime minister and address a nation grieving the only British monarch most of the world had known. He takes the throne in an era of uncertainty for both his country and the monarchy itself. As the country began a 10-day mourning period, people around the globe gathered at British embassies to pay homage to the queen. She died Thursday. In Britain and across its former colonies, the widespread admiration for Elizabeth herself was occasionally mixed with scorn for the institution and the imperial history she represented.