Hope King Charles III can bring peace, reconciliation

WITHOUT doubt, Queen Elizabeth II was honoured with the most elaborate State Funeral the world has ever seen. The sheer number of official ceremonial processions, lying-in-state, church services, the special sessions of parliaments, and overseas kings and leaders driven around in commercial buses are overwhelming!

I do not think anyone anywhere has ever seen such an outpouring of affection and grief for a head of state in the United Kingdom in contemporary, or even in modern history.

Since the demise of Queen Elizabeth II on 8th September in Scotland, people from all walks of life queued in the thousands to pay their last respects to the much loved Monarch. Hugh floral tributes were seen at all palaces and her residences. Global coverage of the Queen’s death has been enormous.

All in all, it was a most fitting tribute to the world’s much loved grandmother and stateswoman! She was role model of a constitutional monarch in a much troubled and turbulent world. Queen Elizabeth never interfered, though she had prerogative as a constitutional monarch. Indeed, the Queen had few equals!

I respect Queen Elizabeth II, not because she was the Queen of the United Kingdom nor that she was a white person. I respect her because she was an incredibly unique human being by any standard.

The late Queen of UK in her long reign of seven decades had shown her humane attributes, kindness, compassion and humility.

The late monarch was a reformer; a sovereign ruler who accepted radical changes in her country and in the Commonwealth to the extent that it appears unbelievable! Many countries have yet to follow. She was a role model for all in the world.

Similarly, it is just incredible that the African continent could produce the like of Nelson Mandela!

In this Second Elizabethan Age, we have seen the huge impact she had on her country, her realms and the Commonwealth of Nations, and, indeed, the world at large.

It was a signal honour and privilege to have known and to have met Queen Elizabeth and the late Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh since 1972.

My condolences to King Charles, the Queen Consort Camilla, the Princess Royal Princess Anne, Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, The Duke of York, The Duke and Duchess of Wessex, Prince William the Prince of Wales and Katherine the Princess of Wales, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex and the Royal Family.

King Charles lll, the new monarch and Head of the Commonwealth of 56 nations can rally 2.5 billion people, 1/3 of world population, to fight against man’s most deadly enemy – Climate Change, now at its worst.

The world has thus more to celebrate this September as the new King is not only an extraordinary and active environmentalists, but one of the world’s leading conservationists and practising what he strongly believes in by setting up an organic farm with profits to charity. The King must have been much influenced by probably the world’s famous pioneer environmentalist Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, Consort of Queen Elizabeth of England.

With the monarch as the new Head of Commonwealth of 56 nations we can see that his environmental influence will be on a gigantic and unprecedented scale. I send my heartiest congratulations and very best wishes to the green King, and his various green projects, including “The Green Canopy”, and pray that there is hope of bringing the Climate Change under control. Let’s all help to make the planet earth a more bearable place to live in.

King Charles, Defender of the Faith, Supreme Governor of the Church of England, has been known to respect all faiths, in particular to understand more about the other major religion – Islam. This is most encouraging to ensure peace and harmony not only in the UK and the Commonwealth, but also peace and reconciliation with the Muslim peoples and nations across the world at this most difficult time.

With his strong determination to cement the ties with the 4 nations in UK and the Commonwealth as shown by his intrepid efforts, without any rest in the last 11 days, I am confident that the new King will herald another significant era of peace, progress and prosperity.

Ang Lai Soon is the Founder, Founding Commissioner/ Commander of St John Ambulance Sarawak and President of Sarawak Cheshire Home.