King Charles III Takes The Job Of The Royal Figurehead

Charles praised by the Universal Media...

Ahead of the sudden demise of Queen Elizabeth II last week, King Charles III faced the difficult task of handling his grief at the death of his mother, giving voice to the nation's loss and taking on the job of the royal figurehead.

Britain swept up in a wave of pro-monarchy sentiment since Queen Elizabeth II died on September 8, the 73-year-old Charles has won almost universal praise in the media.

But his first week in power has not been entirely blemish-free.

According to the royal rituals, Charles endured the longest wait for the throne in British history. Also, he has the toughest act to follow, so all eyes were on him when he made his first address to the nation the day after the queen's demise.

Last Friday, he was seated at a wooden table in a black suit and tie, he mixed personal tributes to his mother - "darling mama" - with pledges about how he would reign as a ceremonial constitutional monarch.

"As the queen herself did with such unswerving devotion, I too now solemnly pledge myself, throughout the remaining time God grants me, to uphold the constitutional principles at the heart of our nation," he said.

He promised to step back from his charitable activities and trusts that have led to him being accused of meddling in national politics in the past - a major problem for a sovereign who is meant to be neutral.

Addressing a personal issue that risked causing tensions during the national mourning period, he declared his "love" for his estranged youngest son Harry and daughter-in-law Meghan.