Queen Camilla faced significant challenges when she encountered anti-monarchy protestors during an Easter service on Thursday. As she arrived at Worcester Cathedral for the morning religious service, the Queen was met with activists from Republic, a group known for its protests against the Royal Family.
The protestors, armed with large yellow banners and flags, chanted slogans such as “Down with the crown” while the Queen presided over the annual Maundy service, a task typically fulfilled by the King. Notably, Camilla made history by becoming the first consort to lead the special event, as her husband, King Charles, has taken a step back from public duties due to his ongoing cancer treatment.
Outside the cathedral, GB News Royal Correspondent Cameron Walker interviewed Graham Smith, the CEO of Republic, capturing the tension surrounding the event and the sentiments of anti-monarchy protestors. In a separate development, Princess Kate released a video message on Friday revealing her diagnosis of cancer, adding a somber note to the proceedings.
In a statement released before the event, Republic said: “When Camilla visits Worcester on Thursday it will be a reminder too of how out of touch the monarchy is with the values of most of us. Values such as equality, democracy, and the rule of law.”
Smith said that the group was “continuing our string of protests against the monarchy”. When asked about the appropriateness of protesting at Royal Family events in the wake of Princess Kate and King Charles’s cancer diagnoses Smith said that the protest was about the institution, not the family members.
He said: “We separate out the personal and private from the issue and this is a protest about the institution and we’ve been very clear on social media. “We’ve expressed our sympathies for both Charles and Kate and we wish them a speedy recovery.
Despite the presence of protestors, the Queen also received expressions of support from well-wishers in Worcester, who presented gifts for the Princess of Wales and King Charles. The contrasting displays of sentiment underscore the divisive nature of the monarchy and its role in contemporary British society.
