William accused of backing the pro-EU campaign

Fury as IN camp claim Prince’s speech supports them

‘ Right now, the big questions ... in the UN, Nato, the Middle East and elsewhere ... are predicated on‘ ... working in partnership with others’ Prince William yesterday

PRINCE William was dragged into the row over Britain’s membership of the European Union last night after pro-Brussels campaigners tried to claim he had signalled his support for staying in.

In a surprise intervention, the Prince briefly appeared to echo a central claim of the ‘In’ campaign – that Britain would be less secure if it votes to go it alone.

Speaking to Foreign Office diplomats, he said: ‘In an increasingly turbulent world, our ability to unite in common action with other nations is essential.

‘It is the bedrock of our security and prosperity and is central to your work.’

Pro-EU campaigners immediately voiced satisfaction that the Prince appeared to be supporting one of their key arguments. A

‘More global in nature’

spokesman for the Britain Stronger In Europe campaign said: ‘ People from all walks of life are getting behind the campaign for Britain to stay in the EU.’

But eurosceptics accused the ‘In’ campaign of trying to hijack the Prince’s speech for their own purposes. They pointed out that his remarks could just as easily be interpreted as sympathetic to the case for a so-called Brexit.

Eurosceptic Tory MP Peter Bone said: ‘I am surprised that they are already so desperate as to claim this speech supports their cause. It sounds to me much more like a pro-Nato speech – the idea that being part of the EU increases our security is a joke.

‘The Prince’s speech sounded much more global in nature than pro-European. It is desperate spin to claim otherwise.’

Kensington Palace vehemently denied that the Prince was advising the public how to vote in the referendum, pointing out that he did not directly mention Europe.

But the episode had echoes of the Queen’s comments during the lead up to the Scottish independence referendum in 2014, when she urged voters to think ‘very carefully’ when choosing.

Yesterday’s row came after the Prince delivered a speech to young diplomats at the Foreign Office, flanked by Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond.

He told them: ‘For centuries, Britain has been an outward looking nation. Hemmed in by sea, we have always sought to explore what is beyond the horizon. And wherever we go, we have a long and proud tradition of seeking out allies and partners.

‘In an increasingly turbulent world, our ability to unite in common action with other nations is essential. It is the bedrock of our security and prosperity and is central to your work. Right now, the big questions with which you wrestle – in the United Nations, Nato, the Middle East and elsewhere – are predicated on your commitment to working in partnership with others.’

The speech is thought to have been written by Sir David Manning, the controversial diplomat who served as Tony Blair’s foreign policy adviser at the time of the Iraq War.

Downing Street declined to comment last night, but government sources privately insisted they had no involvement in the speech. However the remarks also raised eyebrows in Whitehall, where officials are hyper- sensitive about comments that could be interpreted as bearing on Britain’s EU membership.

And in a sign of the Royal Household’s concern at the way the speech was being interpreted, a Kensington Palace spokesman insisted on the record: ‘ The speech wasn’t about Europe.’

A Royal aide added: ‘ The Prince’s speech ... was clearly not about Europe and very much about the Foreign Office.’

The timing of the Prince’s com- ments – before the vote has even been called – also means it is unlikely to have a significant bearing on the result.

However the campaign group Republic accused the Prince of meddling in politics.

Graham Smith, the group’s chief executive, said many Brexit supporters would be ‘angered by this latest royal intervention’, adding that ‘the Palace knows what it’s doing’.

He added that such comments contain ‘carefully worded phrases they can quickly row back from the moment the story breaks.’

Comment – Page 14