As King Charles assumes the role he has spent his life preparing for, he knows decisions made in the coming weeks will shape the monarchy like never before.
Against a backdrop of discontent among the 14 British overseas realms over the monarchy’s role in the slave trade and amid growing calls for reparations, Charles takes the helm at a crucial time.
The King, whose mother was revered around the globe for unifying nations and communities, is aware of his responsibility to be a modern ruler in a changing world.
In his first address to the nation, Charles said: “I shall endeavour to serve you with loyalty, respect and love, as I have throughout my life.”
Yet concerns have remained over whether he will be able to change his reputation for previously meddling in matters of state.
For all the latest on the death of the Queen see our live blog
There have also been fears that scandal and infighting could destroy the very fabric of the institution he presides over.
Indeed, after Princess Diana’s death in 1997, calls for the Crown to skip Charles entirely reached such a crescendo that his birthright seemed perilously close to being out of reach.
Sometimes labelled a man from a bygone era – perhaps fairly at times, given his demeanour and appearance – Charles often railed that he was profoundly misunderstood.
An early pioneer in the fight against climate change, he was widely ridiculed for his ideas on creating a better environment for future generations.
These ideas are now widely accepted as being crucial for the protection of the planet.
His “black spider memos’’ infuriated government ministers, while he continued to make his views known on subjects such as architecture and genetic crops.
One of his closest aides told me how Charles was certain he would not cross a line after becoming King, saying: “I am not that foolish.”
In his speech the day after the Queen's death, Charles accepted his life would dramatically change now he is the monarch.
He added: “It will no longer be possible for me to give so much of my time and energies to the charities and issues for which I care so deeply. But I know this important work will go on in the trusted hands of others.”
In years of covering Charles’ tours overseas and his engagements in the UK, I have seen up close how passionate he is about unifying communities and preparing to make the best of what will be a short reign in comparison to his mother’s.
Another aide who worked for the King for more than a decade, said: “King Charles will be considerably different from the Prince of Wales.
"He knows he has to be.
“To continue the legacy of his mother alongside his unwavering respect for a monarchy which is revered around the world, he says he will adapt.”
The Queen spent 70 years on the throne, largely keeping her political views and social beliefs close to her chest.
On the rare occasions she did reveal her innermost thoughts – be it her steadfast belief in the Union in the face of Scottish nationalism, or the need for respecting different points of view in a veiled reference to Brexit – when the Queen spoke, the world listened.
You can leave your tributes to Queen Elizabeth II here
King Charles acknowledges he must follow his mother’s exacting standards of integrity and fairness if he is to endear himself to the millions of people he reigns over.
After Barbados became a republic last year and with Jamaica set to follow suit, the King knows the monarchy must move with the times, while also respecting his mother’s values.
Paying tribute to the Queen, he said: “In the course of the last 70 years we have seen our society become one of many cultures and many faiths.
"The institutions of the state have changed in turn. But, through all changes and challenges, our nation and the wider family of realms – of whose talents, traditions and achievements I am so inexpressibly proud – have prospered and flourished.
“Our values have remained, and must remain, constant.”
As Charles once revealed to me, his commitment was forged out of respect for the people he has now pledged to serve, saying: “We wish to be partners, not rulers, for our collective futures.”
His time has come.
* This weekend, the Daily Mirror and Sunday Mirror celebrate the life of Her Majesty the Queen with a commemorative special filled with all the key moments from Britain’s longest reigning monarch.
Be sure to pick up your copy of the Daily Mirror and Sunday Mirror to get both pullouts.
