Prince was justified in coming up to Scotland
STEWART Paterson’s snotty, mean-spirited attack on Prince Charles was entirely uncalled for (“Wealthy Londoner dismisses travel warning to bolt up in Scottish home”, March 26).
Through institutions like Dumfries House and the Prince’s Foundation, the Duke of Rothesay has done a great deal to support Scotland – it is very reductive to dismiss him as a “wealthy Londoner”. Besides, I thought that welcoming all immigrants was part of modern Scotland’s “civic national” pride?
Paterson also greatly exaggerates the health risk. Birkhall is an isolated residence that’s more than two miles from the closest village, Ballater – and he and his entourage would have travelled in self-contained private vehicles, at no risk to anyone outside. There is less chance of spreading infection there than in Clarence House right slap-dab in the middle of London which is already nearly overwhelmed with coronavirus and doesn’t need more being added on top.
Also, our queen is elderly, frail and in the vulnerable category of coronavirus. Whatever your opinion on the monarchy, I think that we can all at least agree to hold a temporary truce – the last thing we all need right now is a constitutional crisis on top of a public health emergency and a half-incapacitated government. By moving away from her Prince Charles is not running, he is being responsible.
Robert Frazer
Via email
NOW that the virus is a full blown world-wide pandemic, affecting everyone from the doctors and nurses treating patients to the Prime Minister (right) and Prince Charles, I would like to ask our world leaders one thing: Are you going “learn any lessons” this time?
No living person on the planet has seen anything like this before, But we have had scares in the past, The swine flu pandemic affected millions with death toll estimates 10 times higher than first told by the governments of the world (575,400), of these cases (12,496) were in the US and still no lessons were learned.
Yet here we are again, another deadly virus that could have been contained to a small section of a district has been allowed to spread right across the globe killing thousands. The next deadly virus could be the last for mankind and no amount of money will save us so I really hope the politicians will think for once and put people first instead of profit.
Richard Low
Twechar