When the news broke of the passing of Her Late Majesty, I was, like so many people across our area, in shock and incredibly saddened.
After all, for many of us, she had been a constant. The only monarch we'd ever known.
In the following days, our new King, so ably supported by his Queen Consort and the rest of the Royal Family, criss-crossed the United Kingdom - meeting with members of the public wanting to pay their own respects and be comforted in their shared sense of grief.
It was especially heartening to see, alongside these grand moments of remembrance and mourning, the countless smaller, more local, events taking place. Including those here in Carshalton and Wallington. I was honoured to join so many in signing our local Book of Condolence, for instance. It was clear to see that so many people, of all ages, had been moved to write in the book, whether it was a paragraph or simply a few words. Likewise, our own local floral tribute garden.
Whilst we will no doubt continue to mourn for Her Late Majesty, I know that I'll be joining many people across our area in wishing His Majesty King Charles and Her Majesty the Queen Consort all the very best as they begin to navigate this new juncture of not just their own lives but in the life of the country, too.
God save the King.