King Charles III made his first comments on Friday about the riots that have rocked British cities, praising the work of the police in combating the violence.
While the monarch and Queen Camilla offered their condolences to the families of the three girls killed in the mass stabbing on July 29, Buckingham Palace has not commented on the almost daily rioting that followed.
According to a Buckingham Palace spokesman, the king praised British police and emergency services “for their work to restore calm in areas affected by violent unrest.”
The spokesperson said he expressed hope that “shared values of mutual respect and understanding will continue to strengthen and unite the nation.”
Many observers were eager to see whether the King, who is on his annual summer holiday in Scotland, would break his silence over these disturbances.
Hundreds of people have been arrested following almost overnight riots in cities across England and Northern Ireland that authorities have blamed on far-right agitators.
Authorities say rioters took advantage of the girls’ killings to launch racist and Islamophobic protests in the coastal town of Southport in northwest England. The suspect accused in the killings was born in Britain.
Traditionally, the king does not comment on anything that might stir up political controversy.
But in talks with Prime Minister Keir Starmer and police chiefs, the King said he had been “very encouraged” by the response “which saw the aggression and criminality of a few matched by the compassion and resilience of many”.
While extra police have been put on standby, a number of counter demonstrations have taken place in cities where far-right protests were planned.
‘Dangerous moment’
His call for unity was followed by a silence, which worried some royal observers.
“I’m surprised the monarch hasn’t spoken out more forcefully as head of state at a time when this is a dangerous moment for the United Kingdom,” historian and royal commentator Ed Owens said before the statement was released.
However, according to constitutional law expert Craig Prescott, “the monarchy does not comment on current political events”. The late Queen Elizabeth II remained similarly silent during the last wave of riots that rocked England in 2011.
“Once the riots have subsided, you can expect members of the Royal Family to visit the affected locations and perhaps meet in multicultural settings,” Prescott said in a post on the X social media platform.
“If the King speaks out about this, what about the next big issue, and the issue after that?”
Owens argued that Charles, who has slowly resumed public duties after being diagnosed with cancer earlier this year, may not have responded publicly for two main reasons.
He may have been “advised by his Government that it would not be wise to intervene directly at this stage.”
And the King himself would have considered the issue to be very “burning”. Owens said the question of “illegal migration” is politically divisive and sensitive in Britain.
But as heir to the throne, Charles expressed his opposition to the previous government’s plan to send refugees to Rwanda.
And the king has been more vocal in recent years on topics such as climate change. Since becoming king, he has been seen as more accessible than his predecessors, including speaking openly about his health.
But for Graham Smith, the head of Republic, a pressure group that campaigns for an elected British head of state to replace the monarch, the lack of response to the riots shows the monarchy is an institution “for someone who isn’t really able to speak out.”
According to media reports, citing palace sources, the king has asked for daily updates on the crisis.
But Smith said: “It’s not really of any value for a billionaire sitting in his holiday home to know what’s going on. I mean, it’s easy to keep up to date – just turn on the TV.”
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
