As the Royal Family arrived at Westminster Abbey for the Commonwealth Day service, they faced a group of furious protestors, some holding placards about Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor
A palace insider has revealed how serious the situation has become amid the royals being heckled at the Commonwealth Day service after the arrest of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor. Dozens of protestors from anti-monarchy group Republic gathered outside Westminster Abbey earlier this week, ahead of the royal family arriving to celebrate Commonwealth Day.
The campaigners held huge yellow placards that read “Abolish the monarchy” and “Down with the crown”, and were heard chanting “Charlie, Charlie, time to go”. Another sign read “What did you know?”, in relation to Mountbatten-Windsor’s recent arrest. Some protesters held signs featuring images of Andrew that were released in the Epstein files, writing above the photos: “Charles, what did you know?”
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The royals at the event, which included the King and Queen and Prince and Princess of Wales, appeared to brush off the noisy protests and were all smiles as they arrived at the Abbey, which the church bells drowned out the chants.
The event came less than a month after the disgraced former Duke of York’s arrest on suspicion of misconduct in a public office. And one palace insider told PEOPLE: “Other events have rocked the monarchy, but something from within — where someone is being arrested — is very different. This is much more serious.”
It comes after the King’s shamed brother is said to be growing “increasingly anxious” that he will not be able to pay his legal fees after the King told him he must meet the costs himself, royal sources have revealed.
A royal source said: “The financial burden on him, having to attend interviews and take the relevant advice, is a huge concern for him and one which he is growing increasingly anxious about. The King has made clear that Andrew is now a private citizen and must meet the relevant costs on his own.”
Meanwhile, in his message to the family of nations, marking Commonwealth Day, Charles said: “Working together, we can ensure that the Commonwealth continues to stand as a force for good – grounded in community, committed to the kind of restorative sustainability that has a return on investment, enriched by culture, steadfast in its care for our planet, and united in friendship and in the service of its people.”
As head of the Commonwealth, Charles issues an annual message to the member nations, which will hold their biennial Commonwealth meeting this year, in the first week of November in the capital of Antigua and Barbuda.
Conflicts continue to rage across the world, from Ukraine to Sudan and more recently, the war being waged by American and Israeli forces in Iran, while scientists said 2025 was the third warmest year on record and concerns continue to mount about the prospect of AI.
Charles also said in his message: “Our Commonwealth of Nations holds untapped potential for prosperous trade between trusting partners. With nearly two-thirds of our population under the age of thirty, we are a family defined by youth and possibility.”
Many countries, including the UK, have faced the threat of trade tariffs under US President Donald Trump, who has used the measure as a revenue-raising exercise.
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‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.mirror.co.uk ’
