Charles's long wait to become King has bolstered the Crown

He has focused on creating a working Royal Family with a strong spine'

- Patrick O'Flynn

MANY people had misabout how Charles givings King would throne in comparison magnificent Queen to his the III fare on the mother, late Elizabeth II. Unlike the young Princess Elizabeth, the young and then not-so-young Prince Charles seldom bothered to hide his own political opinions.

In part this was due to the apprenticeship he served as heir to the throne being much longer than hers. But in part it was also down to what seemed like an impetuous and restless nature.

His "black spider" handwritten memos to government ministers raised eyebrows at senior levels in both major parties.

From GM crops to modern architecture, climate change to immigration, there was hardly an issue upon which he had not lobbied or expressed a view.

So it was that when the dreaded moment of the Queen's passing came, our grief was laced with trepidation.

Even though Charles claimed to understand that his days as a public political influencer must come to an end - "I'm not that stupid" he declared when asked if he would be a king who meddled in Government policy plenty of us had our doubts.

A year down the line, His Majesty has done much to alleviate those concerns. In fact, he has been a model of restraint in more than one facet of his reign.