King Charles was merely a son lost in his grief as he walked slowly behind the Queen’s coffin

FOR a few minutes yesterday it was easy to forget Charles is our King. Walking slowly behind the Queen’s coffin, he was merely a son lost in his grief.

For all his new status, his uniform and the finery of the Royal siblings alongside him, they were briefly just three brothers and a sister — united, equal and in lockstep — honouring the mother they loved.

As the hearse made its sedate progress to St Giles’ Cathedral a lone voice arose above the murmur of the crowd packed into Edinburgh’s narrow Royal Mile. “God bless the Queen,” came the shout.

Later, as Charles left the thanksgiving service to rapturous applause, another called out: “God save the King!”

Scotland’s nationalists profit from convincing the public they are a neglected outpost of Britain. They even pretend a majority are itching for independence.

On ­yesterday’s evidence it is all nonsense. The Queen adored Scotland. She died at Balmoral, her favourite home, in the Highlands.

Scotland has rightly been the focal point of the last five tumultuous days, with its politicians, institutions and regiments in key roles.

Swiftly silenced

The vast numbers paying their respects give the lie to the claim that the popularity of our monarchy — the glue which binds Britain — is fading there.

Scots have done the Queen proud. And their front-row seat during this historic week has proved the power of the union.

There have been a few isolated dissenters. One yob was swiftly silenced as he abused Andrew. No one should harangue a son mourning his mother.

But we are still troubled by police prosecuting a protester over a placard. That smacks of over-reach.

Most demonstrators may grow up to rue their actions at this most solemn of moments. That is more than can be said of some on the Left, mainly in America.

Since Brexit some commentators have made careers from trashing Britain, our people, politics, economy and even food.

Now, on TV and in once-proud newspapers, they denounce our monarchy and our lost Queen, ludicrously claiming she represented colonialism when in reality she presided over its end.

What is common to them all is total ignorance of Britain, past or present.

They should be ashamed of themselves and their disrespect towards a woman of 96 who was an exemplary monarch and whose funeral will be graced by every world leader worth the name.

Americans deserve better than to be “informed” about our country by infantile culture warriors given platforms by news organisations which should know better.