Meddling princeling?

Tuesday 30 January 1649 was a cold day. As he prepared for his execution, Charles IThe king who sparked the Wars of the Three Kingdoms, which included the English Civil War. He was accused of tyranny by Parliament and ended up being executed for it. called for a second shirt, saying that "the season is so sharp as probably may make me shake, which some observers may imagine proceeds from fear. I would have no such imputationAn accusation of wrongdoing. ". Then, under armed guard, he walked to a scaffold outside the Palace of Whitehall in London. It took a single stroke to cut off his head.

The king had paid the price for falling foul of Parliament. His attempt to rule without it resulted in the English Civil WarA war between people from the same country. , and defeat led to his trial and death.

Now Prince William is being criticised for becoming too involved in politics. And though it is unlikely to lead to his execution, some believe it could have dire consequences for the Royal Family.

The cause of the furoreAn excited or angry reaction. It was originally an Italian word meaning "rage" or "madness". is a statement he made on Tuesday. In it he said: "I remain deeply concerned about the terrible human cost of the conflict in the Middle East since the HamasA militant Palestinian organisation, which has controlled the Gaza Strip since 2007. It is listed as a terrorist organisation in the UK. terrorist attack on 7 OctoberOn 7 October 2023, the Palestinian group Hamas, which controls Gaza, carried out a series of surprise attacks on Israel, killing more than 1,000 people and taking more than 200 hostages. ...

"I, like so many others, want to see an end to the fighting as soon as possible. There is a desperate need for increased humanitarianPeople or views that advocate for human welfare support to Gaza. It's critical that aid gets in and hostages are released."

The statement made front-page headlines. While some applauded it, others were deeply disapproving. The Daily Telegraph said that it risked a diplomatic rift with Israel.

In the Daily Mail, Richard Kay said that William had shown naivetyLack of experience or good judgement. and "strayed perilously close to entering a political and diplomatic minefield". The royal statement, he argued, could be read as showing sympathy for Palestinian victims of the conflict but not Israeli ones.

He quoted online comments such as "Hamas must be dancing in glee".

William's words, Kay says, carry extra weight because his father's cancer treatment has taken him away from royal duties. That makes William "the de factoSomething that happens in practice, in contrast to that which happens de jure, or according to the law. 'deputy' King".

When Charles was Prince of Wales, he was criticised for sending memos to government ministers on subjects such as the Iraq WarA long conflict that ran in Iraq from 2003 to 2011. It began with a US invasion to topple ruler Saddam Hussein. .¹ These were nicknamed the "black spider letters" because of his bad handwriting. As King, though, he has been careful to keep his opinions to himself.

But William's statement was welcomed by a leading member of Britain's Jewish community. Chief rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis said that William had shown "a deep concern for the well-being of all those affected by the conflict in the Middle East and his words of compassion today, which I welcome, are yet further evidence of this".²

And another article in the Daily Mail called William's statement "well-choreographed". It said that it was issued with the Foreign OfficeThe Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office is responsible for managing foreign affairs on behalf of the UK government.'s knowledge and welcomed by 10 Downing Street10 Downing Street, in central London, has been the official home of the UK prime minister since 1735. .

The I Paper went further, with the headline "Royal diplomat: UK deploys Prince William to call for urgent Gaza ceasefire". It said the government "believes that the intervention will help boost Britain's diplomatic voice".

Should he keep out of politics?

Yes: It is a vital and well-established convention that members of the Royal Family keep their opinions to themselves. Failing to do so shows disrespect for democracy and jeopardises the family's future.

No: Many people, particularly among the younger generation, believe that there is no point to the Royal Family. By involving himself in worthwhile causes, William has a chance to change their minds.

Or... Members of the Royal Family have a right to their opinions just like everyone else. To deny them the freedom of speech that other people enjoy would be profoundly undemocratic.