King Carlos finally had tea with the president of the European Commission, Ursula Von der Leyen, despite the political uproar over the monarch’s interference in political matters. The announcement of the visit provoked an angry reaction from eurosceptics and unionists, who accused Rishi Sunak of orchestrating the meeting for the symbolic scope, almost equivalent to a real assent to the agreement of the Protocol of Ireland before it is voted in the Parliament.
A Downing Street spokesman said the decision to receive Von Der Leyen was made personally by the monarch and that Rishi Sunak “firmly believes that it is the King who should make those decisions.”
“It is not uncommon for His Majesty to accept invitations to meet with certain leaders,” the spokesman said. “That is what has happened recently with President Duda of Poland and with President Zelensky.”
Buckingham Palace tried to stay out of the controversy by confirming the meeting at Windsor Castle in a brief statement: “The King is pleased to be able to meet any visiting world leader in the United Kingdom if the Government advises that he do so “.
The conservative deputy Jacob Rees-Mogg was the most critical voice against his leader within his party: “A decision like this serves to antagonize the people who are intended to conciliate. It is constitutionally imprudent to involve the King in a politically controversial matter.”
Arlene Foster, former leader of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), also condemned the decision in a message on Twitter: “I cannot believe that Downing Street can involve the King in finalizing a deal as controversial as this. It is a decision absurd that it is going to have implications for Northern Ireland”.
Former BBC commentator Peter Hunt joined the criticism, accusing Charles III of “abandoning his unifying role and entering a political fray under the foolish pretense of looking like a statesman”. “It has been an error of judgment on the part of Carlos and his advisers: history will not forgive,” Hunt concluded.
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