Tequila wrote:
I'm sorry, but the royal family shouldn't be getting involved in politics. They should be as impartial as possible. If they really want to take a stand, they should stand for election like everyone else.
You cast too broad a brush here. The Royal Family gets involved in politics all the time. They are patrons of organizations, such as charities, universities, hospitals and arts organisations that, in many cases, rely upon government funding for their operations. They espouse causes, such as the relief of poverty, in which government is deeply involved. The Royal Family may hold themselves apart from partisan politics, but they are strongly connected to certain public policy areas.
Where a restriction exists, I think it is better set out as: The Royal Family (and realistically, only those in receipt of support from the Civil List or the Duchy of Cornwall), should not be involved in political questions that are before, or potentially will come before the Parliaments of one or more of the Commonwealth Realms.
But this is not such a political question. Every Commonwealth Realm (so far as I am aware) has identified the various rhinoceros species as species at risk (only the Southern White is not critically endangered). They have all prohibited trafficking in Rhinoceros horn. So far as Her Majesty's governments are concerned, there is nothing in the least controversial about these remarks.
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--James