Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, took part in Germany’s National Day of Mourning yesterday – but the comments he made during the visit could be a breach of royal protocol. The heir to the throne appears to have waded into UK politics by commenting on “the fundamental bond” between the UK and Germany, just weeks before the Brexit transition period ends and Britain severs ties with Europe. Charles also said the two nations will “always be friends”, during a historic speech inside Germany’s parliament.
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Prince Charles directly commented on Brexit during the speech, when he said: “The United Kingdom has chosen a future outside the European Union, and the relationship between our countries is evolving once again.
“Its shape is a matter negotiated between our governments and its essence is defined by the enduring connections between our people.
“It is, therefore, my heartfelt belief that the fundamental bond between us will remain strong: we will always be friends, partners and allies.
“As our countries begin this new chapter in our long history, let us reaffirm our bond for the years ahead.”
Charles and Camilla were the first members of the Royal Family to take part in Germany’s National Day of Mourning, when all victims of war and tyranny are remembered.
Prince Charles risks breaking royal protocol by commenting on Brexit (Image: Getty)
Prince Charles directly commented on Brexit during the speech (Image: Getty)
The visit was a poignant and historic event, but Charles risked breaking an important royal protocol by referencing Brexit.
It is considered sacrosanct for members of the Royal Family to remain apolitical and in practice, they never participate in elections, by voting or stating a political allegiance.
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry came under fire last month for imploring American citizens to vote in the US Presidential election.
The Duchess urged Americans to vote in “the most important election of our lifetime”, while the Duke urged voters to “reject hate speech, misinformation and online negativity”.
The couple did not directly back a particular candidate, but commentators said it was obvious the pair were endorsing Democrat candidate Joe Biden.
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Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall wore a striking poppy face mask for the visit (Image: Getty)
1.08pm update: Should the Queen reinstate Meghan Markle and Harry’s HRH titles as gesture of goodwill?
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s review of the terms of their split from the Royal Family is fast approaching and as a result, Express.co.uk is asking if you think the Queen should reinstate their HRH titles in a gesture of goodwill? Vote in our poll, HERE.
12pm update: Meghan Markle and Prince Harry ‘LOST TOUCH’ with British public – Diana’s ex-aide hits out
Patrick Jephson, Princess Diana’s long-standing private secretary, has given a detailed account of the late royal’s final years away from The Firm.
The former aide suggested Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are starting to follow in the footsteps of Diana, with their private ventures and desire to remain relevant outside of the Royal Family.
Mr Jephson warned the Sussexes were already starting to lose touch with the public and suggested they could be about to cross a line.
He wrote in the Daily Mail: “As perhaps her younger son Harry has discovered, you can escape the Palace but finding relevance and respect as just another celebrity is much, much harder. So much easier to take the shortcut: keep lawyers and PR wizards on retainer and preach platitudes to the unenlightened masses.
“Pretty soon, you have crossed the line from setting a good example — all a member of the Royal Family really has to do — to setting yourself up as an expert in public policy without the trouble of winning an election.
“It’s surely not what conscientious princes (and dukes and duchesses) intend, but it’s the risk they run when they lose touch with real people’s everyday concerns; when their personal enthusiasms take priority over the much less glamorous traditional royal work of healing and encouraging that needs to be done every day.”
Today marks 10 years since Kate and William announced their engagement (Image: Getty)
11.12am update: Today marks 10 years since Kate and William announced their engagement
Ten years have passed since the announcement of Kate and William’s engagement.
Royal fans celebrated the milestone on social media, with dozens praising the “beautiful couple”.
10.29am update: Sophie, Countess of Wessex’s body language with Edward shows she’s ‘strongest’ in family
Sophie, Countess of Wessex, 55, is the wife of Prince Edward, 56. When the couple have stepped out with their children, a body language expert suggested Sophie shows her “strong” position in the family.
Commenting on photos of the Wessex family, body language expert Darren Stanton suggested Sophie looks comfortable taking the lead in the family.
He said: “In one picture, Sophie’s posture and stride are confident and dominant. It is clear that she is the matriarch.
“I think it’s clear from many of the pictures that Sophie is the strongest member of her family.”
9.43am update: Prince Charles could REFUSE to take new coronavirus vaccine
Prince Charles may decide to snub the new Pfizer corornavirus vaccine if it becomes licensed, due to his moral beliefs. The heir to the throne is deeply opposed to forms of genetic modification, something the vaccine is reliant on for success.
Prince Charles has previously spoken out against genetic modification, describing such tampering as something “which belongs to God, and God alone”.
The royal’s strong beliefs could be problematic if he were asked to set an example and be one of the first to be inoculated with the coronavirus vaccine.
This is because the Pfizer vaccine, which is on the brink of public release, is reliant on a form of genetic modification.
At age 72, Prince Charles would be near the top of the priority list, in the Government’s fourth bracket: “All those 70 years of age and over”.
Typically, royals are expected to set an example for the British public, reducing anxieties surrounding new medicines and encouraging others to follow suit.
British line to the throne (Image: Express)
9.13am update: The Crown debunked: Princess Diana’s grandmother advised AGAINST marriage
The Crown Season 4 debuted on Netflix yesterday, with the new series dealing into the love life of Prince Charles and Princess Diana.
The show depicts Diana’s grandmother, Lady Fermoy, as a very stern old woman, who impresses on Diana how important her match to Prince Charles is for their family.
But in real life, Diana’s grandmother Ruth Roche, Baroness Fermoy actually advised her against the marriage, according to Andrew Morton’s biography ‘Diana: Her True Story’.
He wrote in his biography of the Princess of Wales, for which Diana sent him many tapes of her own testimony, that Lady Fermoy told Diana the royal life would not “suit” her.
She reportedly said: “Darling, you must understand that their sense of humour and their lifestyle are different, and I don’t think it will suit you.”
8.26am update: Kate’s relationship with Prince William is ‘bland’
Looking at photos throughout Kate and William’s time as royals, body language expert Judi James has provided an insight into the couples bond.
She said: “Often unremarkable and lacking any of the kind of soap opera drama signals of other royal couples, the Cambridge’s body language tends to be perfect to the point of bland.
“This ‘blandness’ is probably deliberate. William grew up in the middle of the painful public tragedy of his parent’s marriage and the decision to give just enough of themselves away to present the perfect public face but not enough to leave the fans clamouring for more has been vital to the survival of both the couple and their relationship.
“It is remarkable that in all the years since their wedding we have never seen more than the odd micro-glimpse of anything lurking behind the twinned smiles.
“They have recently added some more relaxed-looking poses and laughter to their public repertoire but nothing in the way of the kind of scowls and mutterings that Charles has been seen using, or the more tactile and very besotted traits that we connect with Harry and Meghan.”
7.42am update: Prince Charles proposed to his cousin before marrying Princess Diana
Prince Charles was pressured into proposing to his second cousin, Amanda Knatchbull, according to royal experts.
But Ms Knatchbull declined the Prince of Wales’ offer because she did not want to surrender herself to a “system”.
In Robert Lacey’s book Battle of Brothers, he explains how Prince Charles’ great-uncle Lord Mountbatten pushed the prince to marry Ms Knatchbull.
She was Prince Charles’ cousin and Lord Mountbatten’s granddaughter.
Mr Lacey wrote: “Over the years the two cousins did grow close, developing a mutual respect and friendship that has lasted to the present day.
“But when the prince finally made his proposal in the summer of 1979—shortly before Lord Mountbatten’s assassination by the IRA—the independent-minded Amanda politely turned him down.”