Anti-monarchy protesters target special Queen Elizabeth II exhibition just hours before King's visit

Dorothy Reddin
Mon, 20 Apr 2026 12:12:57 +0000

Anti-monarchy campaigners from Republic have attached protest posters to the railings of Buckingham Palace, calling the beloved Queen Elizabeth II a "flawed person".

The posters, crafted to resemble advertisements for the current royal fashion exhibition, Queen Elizabeth II: Her Life in Style, feature an image of the late monarch alongside the question: "What did she know?"

Republic, a group that is devoted to abolishing the monarchy, claim the late Queen is portrayed "as an empty dress" in the exhibition, when in reality she was "a flawed person who always put family before country."

The group's CEO, Graham Smith, described the anniversary of the Queen's birth as "a whitewash of history" and "a lot of empty words that ignore the cover-up of Andrew and the systematic abuse of public funds."

He added: "As the posters say, we need an honest history to be told of the royals and the secrets they are so keen to protect."

The activist group placed their materials over or next to existing promotional posters on the Palace railings, where they remained visible for some time after installation.

Mr Smith claimed that backing for the monarchy is in decline, with a third of the population now favouring its abolition, and pledged that similar protests would persist.

"May 9th will see a large demo right outside the gates of Buckingham Palace as part of the third Republic Day," he stated. "A strong statement of the continuing growth of this campaign."

The demonstration is intended to mark what Republic calls its third annual Republic Day, positioning the event as evidence of growing anti-monarchist sentiment across Britain.

The Queen Elizabeth II: Her Life in Style exhibition, currently running at the Palace, has proven enormously popular with the public.

The fashion retrospective has already sold out during its opening weeks, with thousands of tickets purchased, demonstrating the enduring public fascination with the late monarch.

The exhibition explores how Queen Elizabeth II utilised her wardrobe as a diplomatic tool throughout her reign, showcasing the evolution of her style across seven decades on the throne.

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GB News was granted exclusive access to a preview of the exhibition on Thursday, April 10, speaking with curator Caroline de Guitaut, who serves as Surveyor of the King's Works of Art.

The curator revealed that the late Queen was deeply involved in creating her wardrobe, including insisting that Commonwealth emblems on her Coronation dress be embroidered in vivid colours rather than traditional gold or silver.

Ms De Guitaut explained that Elizabeth II "spent a lot of time really carefully considering how her clothing could help her fulfil her role."