The controversy surrounding the upcoming visit of King Charles to Berlin and Paris, his first overseas trip as monarch, has heightened, with some senior Tories accusing Prime Minister Rishi Sunak of exploiting the Royal Family for short-term political gains.
The visit is being viewed as a charm offensive aimed at shoring up relations with the EU as the UK government renegotiates the Northern Ireland Protocol.
There are also reports suggesting that the proposed amendments to the protocol could be dubbed the Windsor Agreement, leading to further accusations that No. 10 is using the King’s name to further its own agenda.
While Charles’s visit is also seen as a response to a diplomatic plea by the government to bolster EU relations, leading Brexiteer Jacob Rees-Mogg has warned Mr Sunak against using the monarch as a political tool.
He suggests that Charles should have followed the example of his mother, the late Queen, and visited “his own realms” in the Commonwealth first.
Meanwhile, Buckingham Palace has responded to suggestions that the visit is politically motivated, with insiders saying the King and Queen Consort are undertaking the visit for the sake of Northern Ireland.
Charles’s meeting with European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen was cancelled, giving rise to questions about the wisdom of the visit, especially at such a sensitive time.
The proposed agreement is expected to reduce the border checks between the UK mainland and Northern Ireland and limit the role of the European Court of Justice in dispute resolution. Tory Brexiteers are sceptical about the negotiations, calling on Mr Johnson to be involved in discussions about the negotiations.
The King’s upcoming visits to Berlin and Paris are scheduled for the end of March, with visits to major Commonwealth countries planned later in the year.
Members of the Royal Family will also be dispatched in an attempt to quell increasing republican sentiment, including a major visit by the Prince and Princess of Wales, yet to be announced.
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