Labour for a Republic is today reaffirming its opposition to Charles’s Scottish Coronation on July 5th. Representatives of the group will also be joining Republic’s protest at the event, with all Labour republicans welcome to join!
Read our press release below for more information:
King Charles has been accused of holding an extravagant publicity stunt at Scotland’s expense. The campaign group, Labour for a Republic, has dismissed Charles’s plans for a ‘Scottish coronation’ on Wednesday (5th July) as constitutionally irrelevant and politically insensitive.
“Charles became king the moment his mother died. The only purpose of the coronation on 6th May was to slow the ebbing of support from the monarchy, and now millions more are being spent on a publicity stunt in Scotland”, according to Ken Ritchie, the Scottish-based Secretary of the group.
At St Giles Cathedral in Edinburgh on Wednesday, Charles will be presented with the Honours of Scotland (the Scottish crown jewels) at a ‘National Service of Thanksgiving’, but Labour for a Republic points out that the people of Scotland were never consulted.
“Scotland is not presenting Charles with its honours – he is effectively coming to Scotland to claim them,” says Ken Ritchie.
“And for what are we giving thanks? We may want to thank all our underpaid public servants and those who do voluntary work in their communities, but we have no reason for thanking a hugely wealthy landowner who hasn’t paid inheritance tax, who has failed to rewild his Scottish estates and who has exempted himself for some Scottish laws.”
Labour for a Republic has also attacked the king’s awards of Scottish titles to members of his family – he has made his brother Duke of Edinburgh, his son Duke of Rothesay and his wife a member of the Order of the Thistle. “These titles should have no place in modern society and, in giving them to people with no meaningful attachment to Scotland, Charles’s insensitivity is staggering” according to Ritchie.
“Scotland is a proud nation which must be treated with respect. Royal arrogance risks weakening our bonds with other parts of the UK and making us a disunited kingdom.