As the “who-leaked-what” hunt continues in the case of the letters written by the Prince of Wales to numerous government ministers, Charles stands firm over his right to correspond on subjects close to his heart. In an unusually strongly worded statement, St James’s Palace said: “It’s part of the Royal Family’s role to highlight excellence, express commiseration and draw attention to issues on behalf of us all.
“The Prince of Wales takes an active interest in all aspects of British life,” the statement continues, “and believes that as well as celebrating success, part of his role must be to highlight problems and represent views in danger of not being heard.”
Further details of Charles’s correspondence emerged in the press on Thursday, including a letter, printed in its entirety, in which the Prince expressed his concerns to the Lord Chancellor Lord Irvine over the spread of bureaucratic red tape. As a patron of hospices and residential homes relying on volunteers for support, Charles said while agreeing with the need for careful regulation, “there ought surely to be sensible limits”.
“The law now prevents volunteers cooking meals for residents at home and then transporting them to the residents’ home to be reheated,” he writes. “It also prevents them from cooking meals in old people’s homes unless they have undertaken a food hygiene course. Yet many of the volunteers are middle aged ladies who have cooked for their families for 40 years without poisoning anyone.”
In the same letter he goes on to describe another case in which the springs on the residents’ doors in one residential home had been changed to comply with fire regulations. “Unfortunately, the new ones were so strong that some of the old people were unable to open their doors, and one seriously damaged his back attempting to do so. I tell this story… because, whilst fire regulations are obviously important, it shows how easily we can lose our sense of proportion”.
While the Prince’s comments are likely to strike a chord with many of his subjects, the correspondence has provoked controversy in both Royal and government circles. According to The Times, the Queen has expressed concern that her eldest son is close to breaching the convention which governs that no member of the Royal Family get involved in party politics. The Prince’s personal private secretary, Sir Michael Peat, who is a close confidante of the Queen, is also understood to be concerned about Charles’s letter writing and his determination to continue with his correspondence. From one constitutional expert came the implication that Charles’s stance on the issue could make political enemies and cost him dear. “If the question of marriage to Camilla Parker Bowles comes up, he will need friends in government,” warned Brunel University’s Anthony Glees.
Photo: © Alphapress.com
While no other member of the Royal Family lobbies in the same way as Charles, Tory peer Lord Norton says: “Constitutionally there is no problem because he is not the monarch. He was writing under the Conservatives, too.” Constitutional expert Professor Vernon Bogdanor of Oxford University agrees. “He’s got a right to do so. Some would say a duty. He will become the sovereign. The more he understands about the country, the better for the country.”
Photo: © PA
