We should be proud of how well Britain is organising a fitting, sensitive and affectionate farewell to the nation’s longest-reigning monarch.
Occasions full of gravitas and grandeur such as this – mourning a monarch while sensitively presenting her successor to the country – are what the British state does best.
The huge numbers of people expected to file past the late Queen’s coffin means there are considerable security dangers.
But every detail has been meticulously planned to minimise them.
The heartfelt response on display from all those who admired and loved the incredible Queen Elizabeth II will be an everlasting tribute to her character.
Heckling in Scotland of Prince Andrew after he paid a reputed £12million to keep a sex case out of court does not reflect how warmly most Britons feel towards the rest of her family.
King Charles is acutely aware of the issues surrounding his brother and does not need to be reminded of them at this time.
Let us mourn Elizabeth II with the full respect and dignity she deserves.
Ruin for Putin
Ukraine's lightning counterattack in Kharkiv, liberating territory and repelling Putin’s invaders, could be a turning point.
We hope that by supplying advanced weaponry the US, EU countries and Britain are helping tilt the balance in this conflict.
Their aid and the Ukrainians’ grit have exposed the Russian military’s bad leadership, shoddy equipment and low morale.
Russia’s generals, oligarchs and populace should wake up now and recognise that they have no peaceful, prosperous, promising future with Putin still inhabiting the Kremlin.
Goodbye Miss
We also bid farewell to actress Gwyneth Powell, known to millions as Grange Hill headmistress Mrs McCluskey.
She will be remembered for her skill at making a fictional school feel so very real.
