Royal Family & riots

[bitesthedust]

Has KC or anyone from the RF issue any statements about the recent riots?

If not, why not?

Genuine question.

I'm disappointed - I thought this thread was going to have reports that Andrew had been out chucking bricks through his local pizza express window.

Thanks

I’m not British although I hold a British passport and have been living, working full time and paying taxes here for nearly 20 years.

I’m republican inclined however I chose the UK so don’t feel I can complain about monarchy.

It just seems pointless that the King can not interfere when his country is getting trashed by his own subjects.
I might be naive but I think it could achieve some significant results, after all, those subjects call themselves patriots.

We are! Me first! 😀

KC is also head of the Commonwealth so racism is relevant and perhaps a calm reminder of how we are a diverse nation with hundreds of years of history in that regard would not go amiss. Some unifying statement essentially without being political and praising the police in particular.

The King has spoken to the police and the Prime Minister and released a statement, according to the BBC exactly as the late Queen did in 2011.

BBC News - King praises police for facing riot 'aggression'
www.bbc.com/news/articles/cj35mv0m5zno

The King’s spokesperson has stated

“The King shared how he had been greatly encouraged by the many examples of community spirit that had countered the aggression and criminality from a few with the compassion and resilience of the many.

"It remains His Majesty's hope that shared values of mutual respect and understanding will continue to strengthen and unite the nation."

How nice. It helps us not.

@comeondover @heldinadream
He's mine all mine, moustache and all 😍
his voice is 👌

I misread that as ‘It helps us riot’.

If you read the article, he has been working behind the scenes. From what I've read about Charles, he quietly works in the background rather than making a huge public statement and nothing else.

I remember a story someone posted back in January, I think, about Charles arranging a lunch to invigorate the artisan cheese community. Sounds like he is doing something similar with his soft power.

I would expect him to say nothing.

What is he supposed to say? He is politically neutral as Head of State.

This is Starmer's situation to handle.

Here in the US, our presidents would invite people to Sagamore Hill or Hyde Park or Camp David for soft diplomacy.

The days when a King could tell his people how to behave are gone.

Indeed. And to comment 10 days after the riots have started shows what an irrelevance he is to the country.

He's head of state, not head of government.

That's an arrangement that is useful in different ways to that of eg the US president, and there should be no expectation that the monarch will take political initiatives.

Talking about community spirit and values is exactly the monarch role, and will have been done in consultation with the PM. Especially as he's calling for unity after the riots - deliberate reminder that the authorities now believe they're over.

As monarch, he has a weekly meeting with the PM (the right to be consulted) and the roles the PM thinks may be helpful (visits, lunches, speeches) will be sorted out like that.

What you'll never see is the monarch drawing attention to their role, as they don't need constant publicity for any form of re-election. If you're in a system which means you must either be re-elected or have only a fixed term to make your mark on history, then the quiet and longer-term view probably looks odd/ineffective. And it would be, in that sort of system. But that's not what exists here.

I think you meant intervene rather than interfere, but your use of the word is telling because there’s a significant difference between the two. The RF only keeps this very lucrative gig by scrupulously keeping out of politics. And not interfering.

King doesn’t make a statement. Complaints.
He makes a statement. Complaints.

That's why its probably best to stick to doing what you believe to be right, rather than courting universal approval.

The first complaint, the one BBC reported, was a statement from Republic, an anti-monarchy campaigning group. I don't think they have traction with either PM or monarch. They are seeking to sway public opinion, but they don't seem to have made headway following the death of the late Queen, and this statement doesn't seem to be getting momentum, as it's been criticised by the establishment left (Seldon) and seemed to have no impact on what either PM or monarch did (forward-looking statement about healing/unity once riots over)

Exactly just do what you think is right when you think it’s right. He can’t win whatever he does.

Starmer has been given the opportunity to deal with it himself it's a sign of government weakness if the king has to wade in at the first sign of trouble

Win what, though?

I don't think they're in the business of courting short tern reaction. They seem to work on longer timelines.

Charles as PoW for example was thought a complete crank for his environmental views - now they are mainstream. He didn't soften them to back in the day to alter how people perceived him. The "win" he wanted wasn't his short-term public image.

Because that's all some of them are here for - to be snide and complain.

If there hadn't been the unrest and if Keir Starmer had gone on holiday and the King is up in Scotland would they still have spoken in some way on the usual weekly basis? I'm guessing so. If KS was away would Angela Rayner talk to the King instead?

Absolutely!

Apart from the constitutional point that the monarch must remain above politics and wouldn't comment unilaterally - without consultation and agreement of the government - I think Charles is very conscious of the need to refrain from putting his two penn'orth in as he did on matters which interested him when Prince of Wales (and got heavily criticised for it).

I remember how much stick he used to get from the architectural profession when he expressed his views on that! If people agree with him - he's right to comment. If they don't - he's interfering and going beyond his role. He knows he has to keep schtummn now and act in consultation with Sir Keir.