Charles should keep quiet

Whenever Prince Charles opens his mouth the republican cause gathers momentum and gains new recruits.

According to convention, the Royals are supposed to be non-political and refrain from involving themselves with controversial issues. Evidently, the Heir Apparent – the Clown Prince – seems to think that these rules do not apply to himself, so he continues to witter on about whatever subject takes his fancy. Even when he knows next to nothing about it. His recent utterances on slavery are a good case in point. He’s not referring to slavery in general of course, but only to the African slave trade. He’s treading on eggshells though.

During its long and bloody history, the Royal Family has committed every crime in the book against the ordinary people of this country. Since Charles is in apology mode, he may also care to apologise for the lands the Crown stole from the peasantry, and for the forced/slave labour used to build the castles and stately homes of his ancestors. Never was there a more blatant example of the rich stealing from the poor.

And he could also apologise for the countless victims who were wrongly executed, exiled, imprisoned, tortured, disfranchised, dispossessed and subject to every imaginable injustice by the draconian and vicious penal laws enacted by his not so illustrious royal forebears. Not forgetting either, all those Brits slaughtered in useless dynastic wars both at home and abroad. What chance of that happening though? Pigs are more likely to fly first.

John Helm