Morning View: A well judged first Christmas from the king

A curious thing has happened since King Charles came to the throne almost three months ago.

Criticism of his suitability to be monarch has subsided.

Part of this, of course, is due to the fact that it is far too early to judge his ability to be head of state.

For most of his 74 years he has been heir to his internationally-admired late mother, Queen Elizabeth II.

That would be a very difficult position for anyone to find themselves in, and as Prince Charles he took interest in a wide range of matters, some of them quite political.

But while criticism of the man who was Prince of Wales was often legitimate, some of it came from people who were not particularly enthusiastic about the notion of there being a royal family at all.

Since he inherited the crown though, King Charles has shown a conservative side, and an apparent intention to follow tradition – which means getting less involved in issues.

He has also shown the compassion that the late queen demonstrated, and which will always win the approval of a monarch’s subjects.

All of this was on display in the king’s speech yesterday, in which he had a hard act to follow – after everyone being used for decades to a queen’s message.

The speech that King Charles gave was short and to the point.

Millions of people around the UK will be pleased that he emphasised the Christianity that his mother also professed publicly.

With religion in sharp decline, they will be relieved that the head of state is still embracing this country’s long Christian heritage.

The speech included clips of royal visits around the UK, including Northern Ireland and was a reminder of how goodwill to the monarchy can bind the UK together.