'Who do these people think they are?' Mark Dolan blasts Prince William for 'Gaza intervention'

But this week I read with utter shock and astonishment a statement no less, from our next king about the conflict in Gaza calling for an end to the fighting.

Now, who wouldn't agree that the carnage in the Middle East is a catastrophic disaster and a devastating tragedy?

But how arrogant and high minded of Prince William, a rich and privileged aristocrat whose platform was earned by accident of birth, to cast himself as some kind of peace envoy, an international statesman.

The whole thing demonstrates a hubris and naivety that would have even his uncle Andrew blushing.

I'm sorry, but who do these people think they are?

There may be a case for an immediate end to the fighting, but a senior member of the Royal family should not be making such an intervention.

In his rather flowery statement, he does his best Winston Churchill impression by saying even in the darkest hour we must not succumb to the Council of Despair.

The only thing he's got in common with Winston Churchill is a lack of hair.

And in the statement he makes it all about himself. He says "I continue to cling to the hope that a brighter future can be found, and I refuse to give up on that".

Well, that's nice for you, Prince.

That last refrain has a flavour of global leadership about it. Well, I'm sorry William, but if you want that, you're going to have to ask somebody to elect you.

Given that you're part of an arcane institution where your surname bestowed upon you your privileged platform, you're going to have to stay out of these matters.Yes, he condemned the violence on both sides, addressed the scourge of antisemitism and called for the hostages to be released.

But the broader message of an end to the fighting calls into question Israel's right to self defence, and it's stated military aim of wiping out Hamas. That's why this is such dangerous territory for a senior royal.