Why a Protester Once Called for the End of Monarchy During William and Kate’s Cornwall Visit

In February 2023, the Prince and Princess of Wales made their first official visit to Cornwall together since assuming their new titles of Duke and Duchess of Cornwall. The royal couple received a warm welcome upon arrival, but during their visit to Falmouth, a lone protestor made his stance clear. He held up a blank sheet of paper and yelled, "No more monarchy," as the couple interacted with the crowd. Royal reporter Matt Wilkinson caught the incident on camera and shared the clip on his X account, as reported by HuffPost.

Wilkinson tweeted, “A protester holding a blank piece of paper disrupted Kate and William’s walkabout and was heard saying ‘no more monarchy.' He was detained by police until the Prince and Princess departed.” The protestor said that the police were 'worried that people were going to get annoyed and attack.' He later asserted, "It is the 21st century, we don't need a monarchy. It's ridiculous," as reported by Hello! Despite the disruption, Prince William and Kate Middleton remained composed as they engaged with the public.

This wasn't the first time that someone protested against the royals. Earlier in 2022, a student was caught for allegedly throwing eggs at King Charles III and Queen Camilla. He screamed that the UK was “built on the blood of slavery." Speaking to the Mirror after his release, the student claimed he was attacked by the crowd. He shared, "I was let out at 10 pm so it wasn’t that bad really. My friends were waiting for me. My solicitor was very good." He added, “After I was arrested the...crowd [was] screaming and wailing with pure rage. Saying that my head should be on a spike...that I should be murdered on the spot."

Still, the student stressed, "It doesn't phase me because I understand what fascism is, what it looks like. People were ripping chunks of my hair out, they were spitting at me. People lost their minds. It's just so revealing to see when you challenge someone’s beliefs in that way, the belief of the superiority of this man’s blood.” 

Meanwhile, in more elating news, during the visit to Cornwall, Middleton had a heartwarming surprise encounter with Jim Embury, a former teacher from her prep school. Upon seeing him, she gushed, "Oh my goodness!" and followed it with a warm hug. She exclaimed, "I do recognize you...I remember the classroom and everything. Are you based here now? And you are volunteering here? Wow. That is such a small world. I'm trying to teach my daughter all the things you probably taught me." Embury shared that he taught Middleton history in the mid-1990s. He also commented on Middleton's brightness during her student days. He said, "I have to say fantastic. It was a great class and she was a great participant and a great kid. It was 25 years ago."