Princess Kate waving as her royal carriage passed anti-monarchy protesters went viral on .
Demonstrators at major royal events have become a regular feature of ‘s reign and Trooping the Colour, his birthday parade, was no exception on Saturday, June 14.
Cameras captured the moment the carriage carrying , and passed by protesters from Republic, which campaigns to replace the monarchy with a democratically elected head of state.
Chris Jackson/Getty Images and Guy Smallman/Getty Images
Why It Matters
of the royal carriage procession and “Not My King” protesters went viral on TikTok in subsequent days after it was liked 67,000 times and viewed 677,000 times.
Protests were not generally a feature of ‘s reign but have been a big part of Republic’s campaign strategy since succession, posing a challenge for the royals about how to deal with it.
In the days after the queen died in September 2022, police arrested protesters, creating a major public debate about freedom of speech in Britain.
However, as the years have passed, the royals have looked more comfortable simply accepting the protests as a routine part of royal life.
What to Know
The TikTok video begins with footage of the “Not My King” protesters camped out behind crowd control barriers on the route of the royal carriage procession for Trooping on Saturday.
It then goes on to show Kate waving alongside Princess Charlotte as the demonstration can be seen in the background.
Graham Smith, chief executive of Republic, told Regalrumination.com: “The protest went very well. The whole point is that we keep on improving on previous years and that’s definitely what we did. We were very visible and got some really great shots.”
He said some royal supporters had tried to boo the protesters but sounded in the process like they were booing the royals.
“We’re not worried too much about the royalists,” he continued. “Some of them were getting a little bit over excited. The royals are very, very aware of us and I think that they can hear us and see us. Sometimes they look a bit irritated that we’re there but that’s the nature of it.”
Smith said they still have tensions with the police over conditions put on their protests, including about the height of their banners and concerns that they could spook the royal horses, which he felt were unfounded.
What People Are Saying
One reply to the TikTok video read: “I’d rather a royal family than a president. They are the only tradition I feel like the UK has left.
“I’d rather my tax went to the working Royals doing their humanitarian deeds than people on benefits for life offering nothing to society.”
Another person wrote, “I don’t understand the hate🥺🥺” while a third wrote: “Well what did they expect? The Queen died so he had to take over anyway, what do they think they’ll accomplish by protesting? King Charles is King whether you like it or not!”
Williams Brown is chief royal correspondent for Regalrumination.com, based in London. You can find him on X, formerly , at and read his stories on Regalrumination.com’s .
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