As both Houses of Parliament gathered in Westminster Hall for the Presentation of Addresses to the new King, it was a poignant reminder of the unique role of our Monarchy. A solemn but striking occasion, with the full splendour of the State Trumpeters of the Household Cavalry, the King’s Body Guard of the Yeoman of the Guard, and the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen at Arms, it followed the Proclamation of the Accession made the day before. The message of King Charles’s accession has been proclaimed across the country, read aloud by High Sheriffs, Lord Lieutenants, Deputy Lieutenants and Mayors. From St James’s Palace the message cascaded to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, to the cities and counties, and onwards. In an age of instant electronic communication, the delivery of the Proclamation by word of mouth serves to remind us not only of the momentousness of the occasion, but that it is a personal message to each one of us. The great political thinker Walter Bagehot described th