While King Charles III enjoys his annual summer holiday at Balmoral Castle in Scotland, the rest of the U.K. is dealing with riots stemming from the knife attack at a Taylor Swift-themed dance party on July 29. The juxtaposition between the royal family member relaxing behind palace walls and the rising incidents of violence is unsettling to many of his usually loyal fans.
The riots have surged as misinformation spread online that the attacker was a Muslim immigrant which has led to a rise in racism and anti-immigrant sentiments. King Charles and Queen Camilla issued an initial statement on July 29 sending their “heartfelt condolences, prayers, and deepest sympathies to the families and loved ones of those who have so tragically lost their lives.” While claiming to be “shocked” by the news, Charles has done little else since — and the criticism is growing louder.
Kate Williams, a professor of public engagement with history at the University of Reading, told the Times Radio that King Charles needs to step up at this crucial moment. “This would be a moment for the King to talk about multiculturalism, the Commonwealth, people coming together and I think that if I were advising him I would suggest making that statement sooner [rather] than later,” she suggested. Williams was conscientious of his cancer battle and even said a written statement was better than dead silence from the monarchy.
“I do think that something should be said on behalf of the royal family, expressing sympathy with those who have lost their livelihoods, those who are living in fear,” she added. “Do we need to get to the point where we’ve got people dying? Because I think that people do look to the monarchy and they do want to know what the monarchy thinks.” Williams isn’t the only public figure asking Charles to stop being so oblivious to the “crisis times.”
Former BBC correspondent Peter Hunt took to his X account to share his dismay at how Charles was handling the volatile situation. “We have a silent head of state. The palace spin talks of bridge building in private,” he wrote. “Charles is meant to be a unifying figure who champions religious tolerance and mutual respect. Yet he’s said nothing about racism and rioting. It’s an untenable position. If not now, when?”
The anti-monarchy sentiment has been rising since the death of Queen Elizabeth II and British taxpayers want to see the royal family pull their weight when it comes to work. A long summer vacation during heated times doesn’t help the situation, and despite Charles receiving “daily updates on the evolving situation,” per The Times, it doesn’t look like he’s doing much to step up and lead as a monarch.
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