Yesterday was Commonwealth Day in the UK. During the day, King Charles, Queen Camilla and the other “working royals” traveled to Westminster Abbey for a special Commonwealth service. Then, hours later, Charles and Camilla hosted a Commonwealth Day reception at Buckingham Palace and the same working royals – minus the Princess of Wales – all attended. First of all, the Commonwealth was already strained in QEII’s final years, and it’s going to be ripped to shreds under King Charles. He fundamentally doesn’t care about the Commonwealth in the same way his mother did, and – I believe – Charles has made his peace with “losing” ties to many Commonwealth nations.
But there are even bigger problems than that. Charles’s math has always been: it’s okay to leave Britain’s historic Commonwealth ties in tatters because the British monarch needs to be more localized, smaller and more manageable. As in, he sees himself as monarch of the UK and not an empire. Except that Charles can’t even leave the castle without getting protested these days, and the protests and demonstrations keep getting bigger and louder. Y’all – the Chubbly is in less than two months, and Republic keeps getting more and more volunteers to protest Charles.
‘Not my King‘ – Protests during the arrival of King Charles at Westminster Abbey on Commonwealth Day
„Nicht mein König“ – Proteste bei der Ankunft von König Charles in Westminster Abbey am Commonwealth Tag pic.twitter.com/xEl56A2gMb
— ZDF Studio London (@ZDFlondon) March 13, 2023
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images.
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- Westminster, London, UK. 13th March 2023. His Majesty King Charles III and a windswept Camilla, Queen Consort attend a service for Commonwealth Day at Westminster Abbey.,Image: 762524484, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: Supplied by AVALON – Fee Payable Upon Reproduction – For queries contact Avalon – sales@avalon.red London: +44 (0) 20 7421 6000 Los Angeles: +1 (310) 822 0419 Madrid: +34 91 533 4289, Model Release: no, Credit line: Photo by Amanda Rose / Avalon
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- Britain’s King Charles III (C) and Britain’s Queen Consort Camilla (C-R) host the Commonwealth secretary general Patricia Scotland (C-2ndR), high commissioners, foreign ministers and other members of the Commonwealth community during the annual Commonwealth Day Reception at Buckingham Palace in London on March 13, 2023.,Image: 762552981, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: DANIEL LEAL / Avalon
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- Commonwealth Day Service At Westminster Abbey Featuring: King Charles III, Camilla, Queen Consort, Prince William, Catherine, Princess of Wales, Prince Edward, Sophie Wessex Where: London, United Kingdom When: 13 Mar 2023 Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages **NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**
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- Commonwealth Day Service At Westminster Abbey Featuring: King Charles III, Camilla, Queen Consort, Prince William, Catherine, Princess of Wales, Prince Edward, Sophie Wessex Where: London, United Kingdom When: 13 Mar 2023 Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages **NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**
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- Commonwealth Day Service At Westminster Abbey Featuring: King Charles III, Camilla, Queen Consort Where: London, United Kingdom When: 13 Mar 2023 Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages **NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**
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- Commonwealth Day Service at Westminster Abbey Featuring: King Charles III Where: London, United Kingdom When: 13 Mar 2023 Credit: Dutch Press Photo/Cover Images **NOT AVAILABLE FOR PUBLICATION IN THE NETHERLANDS OR FRANCE**
as a Canadian… i await with glee to see it all crash down around him. May he be the last King …
His mother had plenty of faults, but a lot if strengths too—and people did love her. No one loves that selfish, narcissistic, mean little man, not even Queen Sidepiece. The Hannovers are reverting to mean and letting us all see it. They are a very unlovely bunch and this is the 21st century not the 17th—time for them to go and just be rich people of no particular interest.
Agree 100%. It’s interesting to see how much air has gone out of the room since the Queen died. Charles seems unprepared and Camilla is despised. This isn’t going to last much longer.
It might seem petty of me, but I don’t want them to leave rich. On their way out, I want them to drop a few levels to the middle class and live like the rest of us,
+1 from this Canadian.
No one here cares about them.
Adding for my fellow Canadians:
My local radio station covered a national poll (by Leger) re: what do you think of Charles’s Coronation.
12% thought C3 would be a good king
14% thought he would be a bad king
And the other 76% DGAF.
56% said Canada should use the occasion of the Chubbly to reconsider our ties to the monarchy.
I don’t think we’re as far in the conversation as Australia or certainly Jamaica, but the tide is turning sharpish
Fellow Canadian who couldn’t agree more!
‘Scuse this white American (US) ignorance, but whenever the subject of Canadian independence from monarchy comes up, somebody invokes the existence of separate treaties between indigenous tribes and U.K. Crown and the difficulty of breaking those. Have CA indigenous tribes enjoyed much benefits and protection from UK Crown? (not really seeing it here.)
Tee hee…. where’s my popcorn?
Despite all the boos, he still gets his chariot of gold. So, joke’s on his subjects. Brits subjected themselves to this type of rule and aren’t doing enough to end it.
Joke is on Chuck. He is not popular.
Well, to be fair, they “subjected” themselves to it centuries ago when wealth + might = right (in the sense of “having rights” not “being correct”). Not sure there was a lot of political agency lying about for them to seize back then.
Well there was a bit of anti-royalist political activity going on in England and Scotland in the 17th Century.
They are conditioned to want the be ruled by a monarchy. Had they wanted to be rid of the monarch they would have done it when USA, France or Russia did it. I think eventually Wales, Scotland will break away but England will keep their monarchy.
Welp, I guess we know what all those missing church bell volunteers are up to. Good luck, Chuck! Bwhahahahaha!
And now he has some entertainers and as luck would have it they are all singing the same song at the same time!
@Startup Spouse haha, so true.
Charles: I would like all bell ringers in service for my coronation.
Bell ringers, while writing on yellow posters: Sorry, mate, we’ve got other plans. Best wishes to you.
“Bell ringers, while writing on yellow posters: ‘Sorry, mate, we’ve got other plans.'”
Keeping some village nuthead from knocking us off all through Midsomer that day is going to be tough enough, thanks…:)
Yup, protest will just get bigger and bigger. The Coronation is gonna be a spectacle, but for all the wrong reasons. I just read that Charles is still refusing to cut costs and still want his GLORIOUS coronation.
That was an extremely small showing. You can hear the reporter say it’s a handful of protesters. The crowds need to get exponentially bigger before Charles responds.
There were a good number of people there and I think more will go. Charles needs to worry. His mother did not have this sort of thing going on. They are all course clueless and flaunt expensive wardrobes.
Considering how the BM consistently lies about crowd size, who knows. And, they apparently have to get permits to protest so I wonder if the police limit the size who can participate.
I mean I’d say it’s more than a handful. The reporters like to downplay.
You can see it’s maybe two dozen people. It needs to get into the hundreds before anyone will take it seriously. I wonder if these protests have always been at royal events but not covered out of respect for the queen. Press sentiments towards Charles are quite different.
Charles is not going to respond regardless of the size of the protests. He will continue to pretend it’s not happening because acknowledging the existence of opposition to the monarchy is very dangerous for the existence of the monarchy. Even small protests are an existential threat.
@Tacky – yes it was a small band of protesters but, what is interesting is that they weren’t drowned out with “God Save the King” by royalists who were there. Given that all senior royals were there (which included all the “secret weapons”) I was surprised how few people were there overall. I’m sure there will be bigger crowds for his conanation but, I doubt the numbers will be anywhere those for TQ’s coronation.
@LauraD yes that’s the interesting part. Well its interesting that we have protestors at all and that its being covered in the press, even two dozen protestors. And they can’t cover it up by saying the cheers are louder or whatever. You can tell it bothers charles.
Equality, you don’t literally need a permit in the UK to protest.
However, right to protest is curtailed and it’s regulated following how much the protest will impact on services and other citizens’ daily lives, if you are ‘disruptive’ police can arrest you and send you to jail for a maximum of 10 years.
So, Republic is staging all these small protests for a reason: they want to continue protests without getting jailed.
@AlpineWitch I’m going by what another poster had put on a different article; that the protesters had gotten permission to protest and that’s why they weren’t arrested like the blank paper holders.
We know what Charles’ response is so far. Well let them eat cake. Continue to ignore the public voices Chucky.
There didn’t seem to be anyone there but the protestors from the footage I saw on social media and what the news shows were putting out. That’s what is going out worldwide.
@AlpineWitch, “if you are disruptive’ police can arrest you and send you to jail for a maximum of 10 years.” Unless your an eco-activist and then you can close down major highways, disrupt ambulance routes and ruin antique artwork without repercussion.
Four activists glued themselves to expensive vehicles (Vw’s) in a German showroom. At closing time management shut off the lights and heat, locked the doors and went home for the night.
The TV cameras love the protests so they don’t need a big crowd. Just loud voices. I bet they will find a way for Chas and Cams to arrive and leave events without being that close to the crowds. Or they will have a protest pen.
@brassyrebel. I say again, I want to win the lottery before the clowning, and with the money scout the country for hundreds of Megan lookalikes and have them lining the route to the Abbey. I want a flashmob of musicians, singing and playing “goodbye England’s Rose and I want hundreds to be shouting” NOT MY KING “then we will have the spectacle of Charlie running from the Abbey with his fingers in his ears going” La La La
But what I take from these pictures is the fact, that when they arrived for the commenonwealth service, there was a group of young people, some bare foot waiting to do a hukka for them, but that ignorant moo camzilla was more worried about her hat and ran on up the steps, but in the picture above, she has all the time in the world, for the white choristers
Good job. They need to organize a few “not my POW” protests also.
Some of the Māori dancers outside doing the Hakka were barefooted.
It was a bad look for coated royalty to allow themselves to be welcomed ceremoniously by barefooted subjects dancing in the cold. Even if those subjects thought it was an honor. Do it inside.
Poor look for leadership.
The day Māori men wear shoes to do the Haka, is the day Māori men stop doing that Haka.
And we are having none of that.
I saw barefoot women out there with them, in traditional garb. It was on the front page of the DM this morning.
@isthatso, what I was disgusted with was the way Camilla hurried away from them because she was worried about HER HAT
Before I realized that the first tweet was from a German news outlet, I thought the protestors were going with the “why is the British royal family German?” signs.
These protests doesn’t impress me, I don’t think it reflects anything. That organization is a fraud. Protesters not affiliated with them are more reflective of the situation to me.
At this moment I think British people just want the monarchy to not embarass them on the international stage and to not be offensive. They have other things to care about beyond that.
That organisation is not a fraud, I’ve a friend who’s a member. And part of the anger directed at them is justified, higher bills or not those royal scroungers are organising a luxurious coronation with a cost of living crisis, it’s like a slap in the face.
The money that goes to the monarchy is part of the reason the cost of living crisis in the UK continues to escalate. Plenty of Brits have become disillusioned with the monarchy long before Lizzie died. Charles has long been despised by people with sense, and his insistence towards a ridiculously expensive, outdated ceremony in the face of “his” country’s suffering (as well as playing genial host to politicians on behalf of the government in an attempt to distract taxpayers from their BS) continues to show exactly why republicans are getting louder.
Could not the royals help by financing food kitchens? Or giving actual financial support to charities? They seem so useless and I feel sad for people. Charles and Camilla have a dreary, depressing look. There’s no glamour. QE did at least look like everybody’s cute little grannie. She was reassuring, even though she didn’t do much either.
And Kate just spent $3000 on another brand new dress for this event, when she already has eleventy billion other dresses & suits she could have worn. You know she didn’t break into her piggy back for that.
Well I’m a Brit and I think the demonstrations are growing in strength. They think Charles is a weak man, Dont want him or his wife on the thrones and don’t want to give one of the wealthiest families in the world £350,000. 000 a year and get out of paying inheritance tax. It’s a bloody disgrace and he is NOT MY KING
Why are they still in the throne still? It’s because the majority of the people still want them there. It’s hard for us who don’t come from a country with a monarch to understand but it’s always been that way for them and they don’t want to break away from tradition. Their stupid god save the queen song says it all. Charles and company aren’t going anywhere in England. Glad that Jamaica and other nations are finally breaking away.
I don’t believe that Charles doesn’t care about the Commonwealth, without it the RF’s role will be significantly reduced and seriously questioned.
The Queen knew that W&K were not suited to C/W work which is why she gave it to H&M.
Charles is getting older and will not be able to go on big tours, he has given it to Sophie and Edward, who travelled abroad and nobody knows.
Very soon we will hear that Sophie and Edward are taking the reigns of the Commonwealth Trust, which had been given to H&M, much to the jealousy and annoyance of William.
It’s not that they keep bypassing WanK, It’s because WanK don’t want it. They don’t want to associate with people of color. The lazy duo just wants to travel to places with royalty and dine at fancy banquets and wear cummerbunds and tiaras.
@RoyalBlue, Yes…so very true, 100%. They are extremely lazy!!!!!!
They don’t even want that. Traveling to places with other royals means THEY aren’t the big shots. In addition, Chuck hasn’t taken his responsibility as a father seriously when it comes to dealing with other royals. The other heirs to the European thrones are various in age, but their parents have made sure they’ve known each other from an early age because of the special situation they’re in. The heirs are doing the same with their children, but not Willnot. The BRF usually sends Edward and Sophie to weddings etc, while Chuck and Will are more interested in the middle eastern royals and their friends with shoppingbags full of cash.
@princessk, and therein lies the cause of all this, William and his petty jealousy. The press tried to play it that Harry was jealous of William, when anyone with half a brain knew it was the other way around. William has always hated and craved Harry’s popularity, but it has never happened. If you remember Harry and Megan had a fantastically popular commonwealth tour and w+k have never been able to match it. Charlie now knows what he lost but he dare not upset William because of his vile temper. Charlie knows that meghan was a boost to the Royal family, popular with the crowds, willing to role her sleeves up and get stuck in. Wealthy and successful in her own right and loved his son. But William decided they had to go and the media briefings started
Between William, Khate, Charles and Camilla, they have done what no one else has ever been able to do, and destroyed their own reputations
Oh yes!
Charles has to keep William happy in case he throws the towel in. Charles’ job is not to drop the baton and make sure the succession continues.
It doesn’t take a genius or even an idiot to see that the plan is to culminate in a big protest during the coronation. And while the British media may downplay it international media will see it as a big part of their coverage. The narrative of how the British empire has fallen esp after the queens death and brexit is the easiest one to deal with esp on what will look like a boring day that media feel they have to cover. And international media don’t have the same respect or awe of Charles that they had for the queen. So how is that deeply stupid group of advisors planning to deal with this esp since they know Charles not only refuses to hear dissent but actively attacks anyone who brings it to him. I feel like the Chubbly will only be interesting because between this and the Sussex question it will do the complete opposite of what the king and more importantly the conservative government are expecting and if it can’t inspire reverence on what is supposed to be the most special day what are they gonna do for the rest of the reign
When I look at Charles and William, I feel like I’m watching the British edition of The Last Emperor. Only difference is, I feel whatever punishments arise from this are more deserving than they ever were for Puyi.
An apt analogy, @K8erade.
Looking at that group photo, I’m struck by how few people in it are genuinely smiling.
I say forget not my king .. let’s go bigger , not my monarchy . That way we cover all the Windsors clowns
Good idea!
Everytime I hear about the “not my king” protests, I picture Willnot hunched over like Gollum, rubbing his hands saying “MY throne, my precious throne”.
Nothing says Commonwealth Day like an all-white royal family.
Say it again, louder for the folks in the back.
I do think this could be building up to larger protests against the Coronation itself. And there’s a definite lack of interest in the Coronation here (UK), so far.
I also wonder why they’re not doing a formal investiture ceremony for the PoW, as they did for Charles. I’m certain we could get some serious protests for that, because of the strength of feeling in Wales, but also because William is a very unimpressive individual (less so than Charles).
@JESS, THIS ☝️
Makes my little republican heart go pitter pat!
It wouldn’t surprise me if they threw Tampax at the parade after the “oh, so special shindig”.
Where was Trudeau?
Canada would send the Governor General, our representative (go-between) for the Crown and Canada. Her name is Mary Simon and she is an Inuk woman.
This is why I think H&M should not go to the Clowning. The brf needs to own this and these protests should not be made about the Sussexes. Since the brf has made it clear H&M should stay away–they should stay away.
The Chubbly and Clowning are going to be a sh!t show. That’s very obvious. I hope the European royals stay home and let their Ambassadors represent them.
It’s amazing how the BM has managed–with this story and footage–ignored the fact that Maori performers were waiting to perform for these two a-holes, and the horse-faced one couldn’t be bothered to stop and watch their performance. It’s pretty disgusting how rude the “Queen” is…
@freddy, I agree, I said this in an earlier post, they were in their bare feet and all camzilla was worried about was her stupid hat. Some Queen she is, NOT
#KingCharlesTheLast
Tick tock, House of Windsor.
All hail House Sussex.
“Not my King” is great and all, but “Fuck Chuck” is really catchy & to the point, j/s.
With estimated revenues close to 2-3 billion for the UK each year, the House of Windsor is not going anywhere, even as they crumble, no matter how many protesters. The Commonwealth – probably. They bring us (Canadians) very little!
Where’s the expense of this big hullabaloo coming from? Security? Were they going to print commemorative cards and pass them out? He wasn’t going to get a new yacht or anything, right? Kickbacks?
I’m going to guess kickbacks and/or money laundering. He may have no choice but to forge ahead if he’s working with dictators.