William’s unity call
After Queen’s coded Brexit plea, he urges us to ‘come together in times of trouble’
PRINCE William spoke yesterday of the need to ‘come together in times of trouble and work for the common good’ during a visit to Northern Ireland.
It was a lesson everyone could learn from, he said.
While the future king’s speech was designed to highlight how many have worked hard to overcome sectarian violence and divides, some will interpret it as a reference to the toxic political culture over issues such as Brexit.
It followed an intervention by the Queen on Brexit last month. She urged people to find ‘common ground’ and to respect ‘different points of view’ in a speech to her local WI which was seen as a direct reference to divisions over Britain’s membership of the EU.
The fact that William made his remarks in Belfast – where the proposed ‘Irish backstop’ is a contentious issue in the Brexit debate – is likely to add to the feeling his remarks applied to Britain’s exit from the EU, even if they were not specifically directed at it.
The prince’s new private secretary Simon Case, the most senior adviser in his private office, is a former Brexit department official and has a hand in writing most of his speeches.
Speaking at an event to celebrate young people and their achievements in Belfast, William said: ‘Catherine and I are grateful to be amongst so many inspirational young leaders this evening.
‘From using sport to encourage people to talk openly about mental health to delivering services to children and young people who are at risk of entering care or custody – the work you do transcends community divisions and is helping deliver a brighter future for everybody in Northern Ireland.’
He highlighted the achievements of athlete Mary Peters, who won the pentathlon gold at the 1972 Olympics and founded a charity that helps young athletes realise their potential. Buckingham Palace announced yesterday that she had been appointed a Lady Companion of the Order of the Garter.
William said: ‘Mary Peters is not only one of the United Kingdom’s sporting legends, she’s also inspired generation after generation to come together in times of trouble and work for the common good – a lesson I hope many of us can learn from.’
Sources close to William insisted that the speech had ‘nothing to do with Brexit’ and was a ‘timeless message’. ‘It is very much about working across divides in Northern Ireland,’ they said.
It came at the end of a busy day in Northern Ireland for William and Kate. Their visit was kept secret for security reasons until they were in Belfast.
In January, the Queen said: ‘As we look for new answers in the modern age, I for one prefer the tried and tested recipes, like speaking well of each other and respecting different points of view; coming together to seek out the common ground; and never losing sight of the bigger picture.’