Charles commits to peace process

Sir, – A tough, imposed schedule was embraced by our new King, the day in Belfast being the hardest of all.

He and his mother empathised directly with people who had sympathy with an IRA that took his uncle’s life, and he received peaceful intent back.

Even at a time of grief, Charles III engaged on the NI Protocol with entrenched NI politicians, realising this was so urgent for the UK’s future.

What a stark contrast with PM Liz Truss, stonefaced in Edinburgh, appointing two NI ministers with entrenched antagonism to the EU and their own government’s protocol script.

Her confrontational intent seems clear, yet decent traditional conservatives appear forlorn, wanting to give Ms Truss space and time.

But time is urgent and she was not handed a “poisoned chalice”, she fought for it, subservient to non-inclusive and ERG factions.

In Cabinet she was there and silent when the Parliament proroguement challenge to democratic norms was “crudely put to the Queen” for approval.

The Queen quietly showed her concern by keeping Jacob Rees-Mogg twiddling his thumbs it seems for five hours.

So PM Truss will escalate national debt (to taxpayers, me, you and our children) to cap energy bills. But she cannot temporarily expand windfall taxes, while some companies barely know what to do with sudden cash influxes, because that is “not Conservative ideology”.

I get dividends from energy company shares, but I don’t want more or any on the back of excess profits from the public.

For our future I have more faith right now in the monarchy and the House of Lords to bring our prospects and nations together.

Perhaps PM Truss may sense, Damascus-like, the required co-operation and gravity of her position, as she trails the King’s difficult tour.

If she does, there may be miraculous hope for Ivan Reid’s “long out of date” misplaced trust in the current UK Government.

Mike Hannan, Cults, Aberdeen.

King Charles and Queen Consort Camilla, left, were welcomed to Belfast on Tuesday.