A vivid recollection from 1952 is the headmaster, a robust and jovial man, coming into the classroom fighting back tears to announce the death of King George VI. Many of us in our 70s or older span the full extent of the late Queen's extraordinary reign.

King George VI was himself a remarkable man, with an equally remarkable queen whom we came to know as 'the Queen Mother'.

They both provided the fulcrum around which the country revolved through the dark days of the war, staying in London with the people, encouraging their daughter to join the ATS as a driver and mechanic, and on her 16th birthday taking on the honorary role of Colonel of the Grenadier Guards.

So Her Majesty, as we came to know her, had a grounding from her parents and mentors in the enormous task that life was to spread before her, combining the real, the practical and the symbolic roles that bind us together.

Her Majesty's reign has seen a fundamental change in the way the world operates, from Imperial Britain to the British Commonwealth, bringing very different attitudes, cultures, and religious faiths from 56 different countries, including some that have chosen to join despite not having any previous British connection such as Mozambique.

In this troubled world, any 'talking shop' can only be an opportunity to resolve differences!

Liz Truss is our new Prime Minister. Among Tory MPs she was not an early choice, but has now been chosen by Conservative Party members.

As a politician, she no doubt crafted her pitch to appeal to party members. Now she is facing a different constituency, the country as a whole, both the really needy and small businesses all in trouble from rising prices.

She needed to be true blue Tory to get chosen, but the actual task is to support people from all walks of life especially those in the worst situations. She has made a start on the energy crisis, no doubt more will have followed before you read this.

The key is how we each of us respond. We need to do our best with whatever we have and support each other with actions, not by scoring points.

"Clever is as clever does" is a relevant adage. "God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference" is a frequent resolve. Also "God will not ask us if we felt righteous indignation, but whether we did some good." (Pope Francis in 2017), and, of course, "I will deliver, deliver, deliver" (Liz Truss in 2022).

Queen Elizabeth encapsulated wise words not in what she said but in how she behaved and what she did.

Our new government and cabinet has a remarkable number of true Brits, whose ancestry come from various parts of the Commonwealth - it could even be pictured as a symbol of how Britain evolved in the second Elizabethan era.

Maybe the period of empire morphed into the empire striking back - many churches have migrant priests making up for a local shortage

King Charles can now end his long retirement and get to start work at the age of 73, though we have observed throughout his 'retirement' many energetic and effective "hobbies", of which the Princes Trust stands out alongside the promotion of sustainable agriculture and concern for the environment and Global Warming

God bless Queen Elizabeth and God Save the King.