Prince William met with ferocious booing crowd on latest royal visit
Words by Alice Hall
There’s no denying it’s been a tough year for the royal family. At the start of 2024, Buckingham Palace revealed that King Charles was undergoing treatment for cancer. Then In March, two months after her planned abdominal surgery, the Princess of Wales Kate Middleton announced to the nation that she had been diagnosed with cancer and was undergoing preventative chemotherapy.
Amidst a series of health scares, the family have been faced with a growing anti monarchy sentiment as they go about their duties. Just this week, Prince William was met with boos from students as he left Ulster University campus. In videos shared on X, William can be seen smiling and waving at the crowds, despite the boos from students. The words ‘Free Palestine and Gaza’ can be heard being shouted in the video.
The trip to Belfast was originally scheduled for May this year but had to be postponed due to the general election. As part of the visit, William also spent time at a project in Belfast aimed at helping to prevent homelessness for young people leaving care, before meeting with Oscar winner James Martin. Martin was the first actor with Downs syndrome to win an Academy Award for his role in the short film An Irish Goodbye, and William commented ‘I recognise that’ as he admired the actor’s MBE medal.
But the trip was somewhat soured by the reaction of the viewing crowd- and this isn’t the first time that William has been met with boos. On a recent trip to South Africa for this year’s Earthshot Prize, William received a mixed reaction from the local people. While some people celebrated his trip, in a video shared by Sky News a local woman can be heard shouting, ‘William, go home! You have no sovereignty here, you are not our king. Get out of here!’ Others screamed ‘Go home, you’re not welcome,’ and held up signs reading, ‘William, you have no sovereignty in this country.’
Sky News reported that one of the key reasons why people were up in arms about William’s visit was due to a group of local fishermen feeling like they’d been sidelined from an event. Mymoena Poggenpoel, who owns a family fishing operation, told the outlet that ‘they weren’t protesting against the prince, but felt excluded from the event.’
The recent backlash could partly be driven by reports around the royal family’s income
William has been on many royal visits alone this year, as his wife Kate Middleton underwent preventive chemotherapy for cancer. Speaking to reporters in Cape Town, South Africa, William said it’s been ‘dreadful’ and ‘the hardest year in my life’, a far cry from the moto usually associated with the royals – ‘Never complain, never explain.’
King Charles has also been subject to some negative reactions from crowds. Last year, he was booed by protesters as he left parliament after outlining former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s agenda for the year ahead. Ahead of the speech, anti-monarchy protesters gathered outside parliament with placards which read ‘Not my king!’ The protesters could also be heard booing the King as he left parliament for Buckingham Palace once he had delivered the speech.
The recent backlash could partly be driven by recent reports around the royal family’s income. An investigation by dispatches and the Sunday Times claimed that charities, the NHS and the British armed forces are charged millions for use of properties and land on the Duchy of Cornwall (belonging to the Prince of Wales) and Duchy of Lancaster (belonging to the King). One example cited was Dartmoor Prison. William’s Duchy was found to have signed a £37.5 million deal to lease Dartmoor Prison for 25 years to the Ministry of Justice, which is still liable for repairs. Separately, it charged the Ministry of Defence more than £1 million to build and use jetties that moor its warships at Devonport in nearby Plymouth and charged the Army to train troops on Dartmoor.
A spokesperson for The Duchy of Cornwall said in a statement, ‘[This] is a private estate with a commercial imperative, which we achieve alongside our commitment to restoring the natural environment and generating positive social impact for our communities,’ adding that Prince William had made ‘significant investment to make the estate net zero by the end of 2032, as well as establishing targeted mental health support for our tenants’. A spokesperson for the Duchy of Lancaster, meanwhile, said it ‘complies with all relevant UK legislation and regulatory standards applicable to its range of business activities’.
But the anti-monarchy sentiment has been steadily growing for a while. In March 2022, William and Kate made headlines when their tour of former British colonies in the Caribbean sparked republican demonstrations. The couple were set to tour a cacao farm in Belize, but this was cancelled, due to protests from villagers. They were also met by demonstrations in Jamaica and the Bahamas, with many demanding reparations and apologies from the crown.
Meanwhile, studies have shown that there is a sharp generational divide in attitudes towards the monarchy. A 2023 YouGov poll found that among 18 to 24-year-olds, only 30% say the monarchy is ‘good for Britain’, compared with 77% among the over-65s.
So, what’s next for the royal family? While in Cape Town, William told Sky News that he wants to approach official duties with ‘a smaller r in the royal,’ – hinting at his desires for the monarchy to evolve. ‘I can only describe what I’m trying to do and that’s trying to do it differently and I’m trying to do it for my generation,’ he said continuing ‘it’s more about impact philanthropy, collaboration, convening and helping people.’
Meanwhile, Kensington Palace confirmed that Kate will host her annual ‘Together At Christmas’ carol service, in a milestone return to her public life.
Turning the tide on the anti-monarchy sentiment will be no easy feat, but it appears the royal family are prepared to give it their best shot.
IMAGE: IMAGO