Her reign of 70 years was the longest in British history, and her constant presence gave generations of Britons, as well as millions of people around the world, a sense of stability, continuity, and reassurance in times of both peace and turbulence.
Seventy-three years is a very long time to wait to assume the reins of the position for which you have always been destined, and Charles has been waiting in the wings since the day he was born.
He has held a special place in the hearts of Britons and royal followers since he was a child, and that emotional connection was only strengthened during his parents' very public divorce and the tragic death of his mother in 1997.