Dr Gavin Ashenden, a former Royal Chaplain, offers his own insightful and extremely well-informed perspectives on the death of a Queen and the coming of a King in this 18th episode of Merely Catholic, the podcast series for the Catholic Herald.

Queen Elizabeth II, recalls Dr Ashenden as he reflects on Her Majesty’s personal faith, was a perfectly discreet Christian monarch who was “full of the love of God” and whose gifts ensured the survival of the monarchy into the 21st century. Britain under King Charles III will bring new challenges, however, because of the divergent and conflicting parts of the body politic – the forces of secularism and Islam, and whatever remains of Christianity – and the demands each will inevitably make on the cultural and public life of the nation.