Charles’s debut King’s Speech was a triumph

The King’s speech was a damp squib – but for that we should blame Rishi Sunak rather than Charles III. Most of the announcements – from tougher prison sentences to cracking down on smoking – were already known about. But while the Prime Minister’s agenda was far from inspiring, today’s pomp and ceremony did give some cause for optimism: Charles’s speech showed that Britain’s monarch is doing a good job in his role.

Even before he said a single word today, Charles looked thoroughly at home in the surroundings. It’s hard to believe that this was the first speech that Charles has delivered as ruler, so established does he now seem in the role of monarch.

There was a personal note struck at the beginning, when Charles said that ‘it is mindful of the legacy of service and devotion to this country set by my beloved mother, the late queen, that I deliver this, the first king’s speech, in over seven decades.’