Members of anti-monarchy group Republic have gathered outside Westminister Abbey ahead of the arrivals of members of the who are celebrating Commonwealth Day today (Monday, March 10). In a video shared to social media, the group can be seen waving yellow flags and holding posters which read Down with the Crown, Abolish the Monarchy, Ditch the Duchies and Not My King. The protestors also brought with them Republic’s new mascot – Chuck the Rex, a 15ft tall dinosaur puppet. The group says the dinosaur symbolises the antiquated monarchy, a relic that belongs in a museum.
The protests, which have become a regular fixture at large-scale royal events and engagements, began before the ceremony, which saw after they were forced to cancel their appearances last year due to their cancer diagnoses.
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Protestors gathered outside Westminster Abbey (Image: Getty)
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Speaking for Republic, Graham Smith said today: “Fewer than one in ten Commonwealth citizens have Charles as their head of state. 75% of Commonwealth nations are republics. The Commonwealth has very little to do with the royals.”
“The royals need to stop using the Commonwealth as a vehicle for their own PR. Many Commonwealth countries, notably in the Caribbean, are talking about ditching the royals.”
“These countries are also demanding reparations – a reasonable demand considering that Charles refuses to apologise for the royals’ role in slavery, despite them profiting from the practice for hundreds of years.
“Support for the monarchy is falling and Republic is growing. We’ll keep protesting, until we abolish the monarchy and in turn, change the country for good.”
Protestors gathered outside Westminster Abbey ahead of Commonwealth Day (Image: Getty)
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In his Commonwealth Day message which was issued ahead of the ceremony, the King said restoring the “disrupted harmony of our entire planet” is the most “important” task facing humanity.
The Prince and Princess of Wales arrived at the service ahead of the King and were greeted by Dr David Hoyle, Dean of Westminster. After she was forced to cancel her appearance last year, the Princess looked breath-taking in a bright red dress by Catherine Walker and hat by Gina Foster.
The King arrived shortly afterwards along with Queen Camilla who looked the picture of elegance in a baby pink coat dress and matching hat.
Other members of the Royal Family in attendance included the Princess Royal and the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester. The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh were missing from the line-up as the service fell on Prince Edward’s 61st birthday.
The Prince and Princess of Wales after they took their seats for the service (Image: Getty)
This year’s Commonwealth Day theme, ‘Together We Thrive’, celebrates the enduring spirit of the Commonwealth family – 56 independent member countries united by shared values enshrined in the Commonwealth Charter. Rooted in the principles of family, unity and peace, the theme highlights the importance of fostering strong and connected communities that support and empower their members, enabling meaningful progress.
In his message, delivered as head of the Commonwealth, Charles said: “Leaders recently reiterated the importance of collaboration for peace and human rights, as well as for the restoration of nature both on land and in the oceans.
“As we mark Commonwealth Day together, there is no more important task than to restore the disrupted harmony of our entire planet. For the sake of our younger generations’ threatened future, I can only hope that the Commonwealth will continue its vital work to restore that harmony.”
The service will include special musical performances from: Masai Cultural Arts team, Britain’s Got Talent 2015 semi-finalists, Braimah and Jeneba Kanneh-Mason, The first Master of The King’s Music, Errollyn Wallen, and Samoan soprano, Aivale Cole. Their collaboration, titled ‘Way of My Dreaming Heart’ is an original score composed by Belize-born Wallen and will celebrate Samoa’s role as Chair-in-Office of the Commonwealth.