Trooping the Colour is supposed to be a moment of celebration and national pride — a chance for the Royal Family to present a united front. But this weekend's event took on a different tone at one point when Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis came face-to-face with a vocal republican movement.
A powerful image captured during the procession showed the Wales children and their mother, Princess Kate, passing a crowd of people holding yellow signs emblazoned with slogans like “Not My King,” “Ditch the Duchies,” and “Down With the Crown.”
The Princess of Wales remained poised, seemingly unfazed by the demonstrators. In doing so, she demonstrated the resilience one can expect from the Royal Family's most high-profile figures.
The message from Republic, a group dedicated to the cause of bringing down the monarchy, could not have been clearer.
George, Charlotte and Louis confronted by royal reality for the first time as protesters send clear message.
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In a statement released prior to the King's Birthday Parade, Graham Smith, Republic's CEO, said: "Trooping the Colour is the key iconic royal event of the year. From now on, there will be protesters there, calling out the event and the monarchy as a superficial cover for a grubby and corrupt institution."
Despite Smith's claims of plummeting support for the Royal Family, the latest YouGov poll showed Prince William scored a 75 per cent approval rating from Britons, while Princess Kate is at 72 per cent.
When it comes to King Charles III, 61 per cent of Britons have a positive view of the current monarch, compared to just 29 per cent with an unfavourable view.
For George, Charlotte and Louis, Saturday's powerful photograph marked more than just a noisy distraction. It was likely the first time they encountered the visceral reality of public dissent.
The Princess of Wales remained poised, seemingly unfazed by the demonstrators.
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It was a clear reminder that their roles, whilst overwhelmingly popular with royal fans, also come with scrutiny, opposition and hostility from some sections of society.
Princess Kate, 43, and Prince William, 42, have done a terrific job with guarding their children's privacy. Their public appearances have largely been limited to carefully managed moments, such as balcony waves and Christmas walks.
Having to face the group of protesters was likely the first time that George, Charlotte and Louis saw the opposition with their own eyes.
For Prince George in particular, who will one day become King, seeing the opposition could begin to shape his understanding of what leadership in a modern monarchy really entails.
King Charles and Queen Camilla waving at the protesters.
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Republican protesters were outnumbered by fans of the Royal Family.
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Despite Republic's efforts, the crowd along the Mall was filled with more supporters of the Royal Family than critics, and when the key members of the monarchy stepped onto the famous Buckingham Palace balcony, they were received with loud cheers.
Prince Louis, seven, endeared the crowd with his waving, despite Prince George hilariously nudging his younger brother on the arm.
Anti-monarchy protests are not new, given that Republic was originally set up in 1983 and later became a campaign group in 2006.
However, the power of Saturday's image shows that even the youngest royals are no longer immune to the evolving public conversation about the monarchy. For Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, it was a glimpse of the monarchy’s more complicated future.
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