Queen won’t get involved in Spence protest: letter
OTTAWA — The Queen is apparently staying out of it.
Concerns about Attawapiskat Chief Theresa Spence’s protest fast should be directed to the federal cabinet and not to Queen Elizabeth II, says a letter to a Spence supporter, which appears to be from Buckingham Palace.
On Thursday night, however, Spence’s camp said it was dubious about the validity of the letter.
“We are questioning the authenticity of this letter,” Danny Metatawabin, Spence’s spokesman, said in a statement. “Who is this man that the letter is directed to? Chief Spence did not get a letter, let alone a hard-copy either to her attention or to the First Nations.”
The short letter, on palace letterhead, was addressed to Jonathan Francoeur and dated Jan. 7, 2013, but was only made public late Thursday.
“Her Majesty has taken careful note of the concern you express for the welfare of Attawapiskat First Nations Chief Theresa Spence who is currently on a politically motiv- ated hunger strike in Canada,” says the letter, under the name of Jennie Vine, Buckingham Palace deputy to the senior correspondence officer.
“Perhaps I might explain, however, that this is not a matter in which The Queen would intervene. As a constitutional Sovereign, Her Majesty acts through her personal representative, the Governor General, on the advice of her Canadian ministers and, therefore, it is to them that your appeal should be directed.”
Francoeur, a small-business owner in Saanich, B.C., told Postmedia News he had written to the palace and received the correspondence in return. “I wanted to encourage a meeting between First Nations chiefs, the prime minister and the Governor General,” Francoeur said.
An official from the Buckingham Palace Press Office said in a phone interview the palace doesn’t publicly release private correspondence between the Queen and individuals.
Spence has been on a liquid diet in the hopes of securing a joint meeting with Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Gov. Gen. David Johnston.