Last updated 11:23, Thursday, 27 November 2008

THEY used to accuse him of talking to the flowers and cottoning on to every barmy new cause.

But of late Prince Charles’s reputation for being outspoken hasn’t been done any harm at all.

So should the Prince have the right to speak out once he becomes King? I think he should.

We have long since taken what the politicians tells us with a liberal pinch of salt and we need someone like Charles to upset the established applecart now and then.

The Prince has not always been well advised. But I believe he does genuinely care.

There are those who would do away with the monarchy altogether, but I suspect there are a lot more people out there who rather like the idea of Charles speaking his mind than the anti-Royals would have us believe.