[Gordon Steadman]

Not in anyway a royalist. They are, after all, just people like the rest of us. It's sad when anyone dies.

However, The Queen was clearly a well regarded person and behaved with great dignity doing a job that no-one in their right mind would take on without a real sense of destiny.

I found the blanket coverage last evening rather an intrusion, not to us but to the royal family. Obviously it needed reporting but the family should have been given a few days of private mourning before the whole parade starts. A simple announcement would have been sufficient. There is plenty of time for the obituaries.

Certainly she was an important part of the UK's place in the world and acted accordingly. It will be interesting to see how Charles acts in the role and how his many personal interests are bought to the fore. I get the impression that he won't keep quite as non aligned as his mother did.