Charles’ first Commonwealth Day service as monarch attracted a large number of spectators and a handful of protesters, carrying placards with the words ‘Not my King’.
Angry protestors surrounded Westminster Abbey while shouting anti-monarchy slogans as members of the Royal Family’ arrived for Commonwealth Day on March 13.
Photos shared online show the group holding up yellow placards saying ‘Not My King’ in front of the 11th-century church while waiting for King Charles to arrive with other members of the royal family for a Commonwealth Day service.
It is King Charles’ first as monarch.
Anti-monarchy organisation Republic said Monday, that they were organising a protest at the site in time for the King’s arrival. Mirror reports.
In a statement, they also outlined their ongoing intention to disrupt the coronation celebrations, which they labelled a ‘pointless parade’.
Speaking for Republic, Graham Smith said: ‘We are continuing a series of protests against the monarchy in the lead up to the coronation. Charles’s pointless parade will cost £50-100m and yet it is entirely unnecessary.’
However, the King issued a rallying call to the family of nations urging them to ‘strive together’ to achieve a ‘global common good’ in his first Commonwealth Day address. Per Telegraph.
He also paid tribute to his ‘beloved mother’, describing how Commonwealth Day was a moment of pride for the late Queen Elizabeth who ‘dedicated her long and remarkable life’ in service to the ‘Commonwealth family’.
For his speech the King drew on the Commonwealth Day theme for 2023 – Forging a Sustainable and Peaceful Common Future – and emphasised the values of the family of nations from ‘peace and justice’ to ‘care for our environment’ embodied in the Commonwealth Charter, signed 10 years ago.
He told the congregation: ‘Whether on climate change and biodiversity loss, youth opportunity and education, global health or economic co-operation, the Commonwealth can play an indispensable role in the most pressing issues of our time.
‘Ours is an association not just of shared values, but of common purpose and joint action.
‘In this we are blessed with the ingenuity and imagination of a third of the world’s population, including one and a half billion people under the age of 30.
‘Our shared humanity contains an immensely precious diversity of thought, culture, tradition and experience. By listening to each other, we will find so many of the solutions that we seek.’
Meanwhile, the organized protest is much more the highlight of the ceremony.
The protest saw a number of yellow placards held aloft together to spell ‘not my King’
One of the protestors, a white woman, was also seen holding a placard which read ‘racist Royal Family’.
Video footage then showed the protestors shouting and blowing whistles as the King and Queen Consort stepped out of the royal car across the road.
It comes after a similar demonstration by Republic in Colchester last week as part of their action in the run-up to the coronation.
Unruly scenes saw one man with a megaphone ask the King to ‘come and talk to your critics’ as he and the Queen Consort exited their car upon a visit to the newly-appointed city.
Meanwhile, the ceremony is graced with important figures.
Among the guests were the Queen Consort, the Prince and Princess of Wales, the new Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, the Princess Royal and the Commonwealth Secretary-General Baroness Scotland alongside faith leaders, dignitaries from across the UK and the Commonwealth and hundreds of school children.
