Old Codgers in All Their Glory

It turns out the haters, doubters and worriers need not have bothered: the coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla went through without a hitch. In advance, the ceremony was pondered over with a hint of contempt from opposite ends of the spectrum. From the Left came boilerplate caterwauls that fusty old Britain needs to get with the times. They can just about put up with the continued existence of the monarchy—partly because republicanism has such a nanoscopic following amongst the British—but surely the head of state should be inaugurated in a secular ceremony? “It’s 2023!” seemed to be their only argument. But the coronation isn’t about today: it’s about forever.

The defenders of forever were worried as well. One of the delights of the King is that he is admirably unconventional and impossible to pigeonhole in his views, and he has an honest forthrightness in conveying his thoughts. This works to conservatives’ advantage, for example when the…