Care home residents in East Sussex speak of their admiration of the new King ahead of the big Coronation

While many mourned his mother, the late Queen Elizabeth II, less than a year ago, care home residents are now looking ahead to life in the UK under the new monarch. Some have shared their thoughts with leading care home reviews site, carehome.co.uk, on what they think of the new King.

Claire Braybon, 64, resident at Hastings Court care home in East Sussex, part of Oakland Care, praised the King for his humanitarian ventures and his care for the environment.

She said: “I think there is a lot to be said about a man who years before global warming and the planet’s environmental struggles were mainstream topics of conversation, was heavily invested in looking towards our planet’s future.”

Another Hastings Court resident, Rita Swain, 96, the same age as the late Queen, was sympathetic to King Charles due to the constant scrutiny he is under.

She said: “His generation of Royals were the first to live their lives in the spotlight of tabloid newspapers and televisions, any mistakes and indiscretions he made became public knowledge and public chatter instantaneously, a hard life for anyone, and an impossible life for a person who to the world needs to be seen as flawless.

“But Charles unlike so many, has taken responsibility for his misgivings and continued with the job he was assigned with a stiff upper lip, without or showing any sign of the burden which, he carries, a thankless task and one where I feel many would have faltered.

“I can see that there are a lot of pros and cons to a country having a monarchy, however, given the current socioeconomic climate that we are living in where it feels that politicians are entirely disconnected from the people that they are meant to serve, it gives me a small level of reassurance to know that there is a final line of defence against our country plunging into chaos.”

Rhona Handcock, who also lives at Hastings Court care home said: “King Charles is someone to be admired, in the face of public scrutiny, mocking and at times bullying behaviour. Charles has stood fast on his ideals and maintained his stance on improving the environment and looking forward to Britain’s future. Although from the outside, being King sounds like a job which anyone would kill for, the enormity of his responsibilities should not be overlooked, I certainly wouldn’t want to do it.”

Sue Learner, editor of carehome.co.uk, said: “Care home residents have such fond memories of the Queen and were deeply saddened by her passing. She was a constant presence in their lives and a huge loss.

“However, it’s great to see there is a lot of admiration and empathy for King Charles. His campaigning on environmental issues and his call for action on climate change has gained him respect from people of his generation and that of the late Queen.

“Many residents remember Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation and hold the monarchy in high regard so watching Charles being crowned king will be nostalgic as well as comforting in that it signals the continuity of tradition.”