Editorial: From a much loved Queen to a much admired King

She was on the throne for almost 71 years, considerably longer even than her great-great grandmother, Queen Victoria, who was herself an exceptionally long serving monarch (nearly 63 years as head of state). Queen Victoria’s own grandfather, King George III, was the third longest serving wearer of the crown, approaching 60 years.

These three rulers were between them monarch for almost two centuries. For most of the 286 years (this month) the News Letter has been reporting, one of the trio has been king or queen.

Such history is a reminder of what an immense moment it was when the Queen died. Very few people alive in the United Kingdom would remember a time when she was not either a famous princess or monarch. While George III and Victoria also presided over eras of huge change it was nothing like the upheaval that happened between 1952 and 2022, from a time when TV was in its infancy to the internet.

Amid the outpouring of affection for the Queen on her death, there was inevitably a sense of uncertainty as to what would follow. The Queen, for example, never gave much hint of her private views, and so did not alienate swathes of her subjects. Her son, the long-time Prince of Wales, now King Charles, had often made his views known on controversial matters, and so strayed closer to politics. Would the affection for the monarchy vanish with the Queen? That has not happened at all. Charles III has it seems jettisoned his more political commitments, as he implied he would. He has also moved towards the slimmed down monarchy that he has apparently long wanted.

A hereditary system will only survive in the modern age so long as the population respects its incumbents, as it obviously did the late selfless Queen, and as it now does for the King.