If King Charles does half as good a job as his mum, Britain’s in safe hands

AFTER an apprenticeship lasting more than 70 years, Charles III was yesterday proclaimed King amid pomp and solemnity.

Since birth, it has been his destiny to one day lead this country.

Charles is the oldest person ever to assume the throne.

But as yesterday’s accession ceremony highlighted, the sense of permanence offered by our Royal Family is unrivalled.

Charles knows the monarchy must always face the future in order to maintain its precious role.

The death of the Queen has left a gaping hole — 80 per cent of our population have known no other monarch.

It comes just as families face an assault on living standards as a result of soaring inflation.

And Liz Truss’s bold freeze on rampant energy prices must one day be paid back.

There is also the matter of Putin’s despotic invasion of Ukraine.

Our new King must remember that whenever the United Kingdom was at a low ebb, the Queen was always there for us.

No one will forget her address during the darkest hour of the pandemic.

With four simple words, “We will meet again”, she gave us hope in a way no elected politician — not even Boris at his best — could do.

Put simply, we trusted the Queen — she had an instinctive understanding of the nation.

As the King said yesterday, her reign was unequalled in duration, dedication and devotion.

After the mourning is over Charles has to show he can provide the same inspiration and empathy as his “darling Mama”.

The signs are promising.

His Prince’s Trust charity has transformed the lives of thousands of disadvantaged youngsters.

He has proved passionate and intelligent about causes close to his heart and is not afraid to speak out.

And he is fortunate to be supported by Queen Consort Camilla, a wise and generous influence.

The new King will have to forge a strong relationship with novice PM Liz Truss.

He must also ensure that William, now the Prince of Wales, is fully prepared to one day step into his shoes.

We wish the new King every blessing as he begins his daunting task in a world unrecognisable from when there was last a change on the throne.

If he does half as good a job as his mum, our nation will be in safe hands.