Editorial: Today marks the formal beginning of a new era for the United Kingdom

​One of the things Britain does best is ceremony. ​Today will see one of the biggest, with the coronation of King Charles III. One of the biggest ceremonies, that is, in terms of import. Not one of the biggest in scale.

The king has wanted to scale down the monarchy and its cost and its estate. There has been no monarch in British history who has spent so long as next in line to the throne as has Charles, or Prince Charles, as most people think of him. The new king became the heir aged three when his mother acceded to head of state in early 1952, more than 70 years ago.

Over that long apprenticeship for the top position the Prince of Wales endeavoured to find a role, and took an interest in good causes, but some of them were political. This caused controversy, because UK heads of state are apolitical. The late Queen, for example, never gave any hint as to her political allegiances. But King Charles said when he became monarch last September that he would jettison any involvements that seemed political, and he has so far been true to his word.

In his awareness of the need for royals to be seen to be earning their position, King Charles instinctively understands that support for the monarchy, while currently very deep, is also fragile. That is one reason he wanted a smaller than normal coronation at a time of financial constraint and public resentment over wealth inequality. The death of the much-loved late Queen Elizabeth also showed that there was enormous goodwill towards her successor. Today is the formal beginning of a new era for the UK, the very existence of which has been in peril, amid nationalist sentiment in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. And yet across the nation there is support for the king and a sense of optimism for his reign.