Since Queen Victoria made it her official residence in 1837, every British sovereign has lived there. King Charles III, born at the palace, is the first to opt out.

The runaway favorite to succeed Prime Minister Keir Starmer is a longtime mayor equally comfortable in the corridors of Westminster and in working-class northern England.

Looking back over the past decade, it’s hard not to wonder whether Larry the Cat has been the most stabilizing presence in British politics.