Opinion: Giving God Save The King meaning

She was there, a guarantor of stability and values: you could rely on the sun to rise, the seasons to turn, and on the Queen to do her duty impeccably.

The Platinum Jubilee was a rare episode in public life: it was an outpouring of genuine affection for a Head of State. Presidents in France and America very rarely, if ever, achieve such praise while they are alive. The Queen is different: the thread of her life was woven into the tapestry of this country, and it spanned all the way from figures like Winston

Churchill to the Internet Age.

Forever is often an illusion, and the Queen’s timelessness proved to be so. The thread has snapped. She has slipped the bonds of this earth and ascended from one throne to another. However, she will remain immortal if remember her example and individually do our best to live up to it.

We now have a new King. No doubt there will be a coronation next summer, and this will be a moment of celebration. I can imagine the street parties, loud music, and glasses raised to the new Sovereign’s health. Yes, some of this merriment will be driven by a celebration of the man himself and the necessities of ceremony. We should also celebrate history’s continuation: despite all the pressures and crises we have faced, Britain is still here. Our island story goes on.

A new king also represents an opportunity to reset our perspective. It’s been said that we knew very little about what the Queen thought; in contrast we know a lot about what King Charles thinks. He has been outspoken on subjects ranging from architecture to the environment.

He was ahead of the curve on the need to take better care of our planet. The Prince’s Trust does excellent charitable work. Could this be a precursor to a new era of civic responsibility, in which we think about the quality of life?

If so, I will be an enthusiastic supporter.

I do expect our new King to have to be reticent in public, but again, it is the example that matters. We should look locally, nationally, and globally and echo the ideals he has previously espoused.

Be certain: we can protect the environment, we can create buildings that are sensitive to their surroundings, we can build a thriving third sector that provides a hand up out of our current morass.

The King himself will be silent, as is necessary. He will sign whatever bills Parliament passes.

But in what way do we better honour the institution, by merely adhering to the form, or is it by also taking seriously its content?

If we do take the content to heart and build a better country, then the new proclamation of “God Save the King” will have a great deal more meaning. Let’s hope we do.