EVERGREEN FRIENDSHIP - CHARLES HAS DONE BRILLIANTLY WHEN ELSE IS EVERYTHING FALLING APART'

TV GARDENER ALAN TITCHMARSH REFLECTS ON THE FIRST ANNIVERSARY OF ELIZABETH II'S DEATH

- ALI GRAVES

You should always be able to count on a good friend’s support when you’ve taken on a new role – even when you’re the monarch. So with 40 years of friendship behind them it’s little wonder that the nation’s favourite television gardener has nothing but warm praise and admiration for His Majesty The King.

“Charles has done brilliantly. The amount of stability he, and the entire monarchy, have brought to society has been incredible, especially when everything else like the NHS, the government and the BBC, seem to be falling apart,” says Alan Titchmarsh, who keeps in touch with members of the royal family.

“Every large organisation seems to be under siege at the moment, but the monarch is holding the tiller as steady as it can be held.”

As we approach the first anniversary of the death of Queen Elizabeth II, Alan is in a reflective mood, explaining that he was “terribly moved” by this summer’s coronation celebrations.

The 74-year-old Love Your Garden stalwart made audiences chuckle when he revealed Elizabeth II told him he gave “a lot of ladies a lot of pleasure” when she presented him with his MBE medal 23 years ago. But he believes King Charles has proved his worth with a “seamless” ascension to the throne.

“Over the years, as our former Prince of Wales, we’ve come to know exactly what he stands for, which is custodianship of the landscape and the planet. It must be very different when you’re King compared to Prince. You’re less able to express your opinions, but we know what he feels in his heart.”

There are no such restrictions on Alan’s opinions – especially when it comes to donning a spot of glitter and fake tan for a certain sparkly dancing show.