Royal wedding sparks debate over homeless
LONDON — A political storm is brewing ahead of Prince Harry’s and Meghan Markle’s May 19 wedding over whether to crack down on homeless people and beggars in the well-to-do English town of Windsor.
The wedding will be held at Windsor Castle, the town’s most famous landmark and a favoured residence of the Queen. It is expected to draw thousands of extra visitors to the picturesque riverside town 32 kilometres west of London that is already popular with international tourists.
Borough council leader Simon Dudley kicked off the controversy by tweeting over the Christmas holidays about the need to clean up Windsor’s streets. He then wrote to police and Prime Minister Theresa May suggesting that action be taken to reduce the presence of beggars and the homeless.
Dudley referred to an “epidemic” of homelessness and vagrancy in Windsor and suggested many of those begging in the town are not really homeless. He said the situation presents a beautiful town in an unfavourable light.
The prime minister said Thursday she does not agree with Dudley’s call for police action, emphasizing councils like the one Dudley heads must act to help the homeless.
“I think it is important that councils work hard to ensure that they are providing accommodation for those people who are homeless,” said May.
Charities rejected the assertion Windsor’s homeless were living on the streets by choice. Murphy James of the Windsor Homeless Project called Dudley’s views offensive.
“It’s absolutely abhorrent that anybody has got these views in this day and age, especially a lead councillor of the borough,” he said.
Harry and Markle will be wed on the closedoff castle grounds, but have said they want the public to be involved to some degree. Harry has supported a number of charity events to help the homeless.