THE CEO of anti-monarchy group Republic has called on Prince William to meet to discuss poverty and inequality after Prince William dismissed criticism from the campaigner during a documentary.
Graham Smith has written to the royal following the airing of a documentary titled Prince William: We Can End Homelessness.
In the documentary, viewers hear a recording of LBC radio host James O’Brien citing criticism from Smith, who says homeless is about government policy and investment and that this won’t be stopped through charity or royal patronage.
Our CEO @GrahamSmith_ has written to William, challenging him to meet to discuss poverty, inequality and the monarchy's role in perpetuating these problems. The letter follows William dismissing criticism from Republic during his homelessness documentary. 👇 #AbolishTheMonarchy pic.twitter.com/4JY3kCZDtH
— Republic (@RepublicStaff) October 31, 2024
Asked how he feels about the criticism of Homewards, his five-year-programme designed to show how homelessness can be ended, William said: “I think if I answered every critic, I’d be here all day.
“But you know, criticism drives you forward.”
In a letter addressed to William, Smith said he wants to set out some of his criticisms in further detail and called for the prince to meet him in person.
The letter states: “I should start by saying that I am as concerned as you about homelessness, and I care deeply about the social, political and economic inequalities that are the root cause of poverty.
“These concerns are a large part of what motivates me to campaign for a more equitable constitution.
“The purpose of my criticism is to raise wider questions about that inequality and the role of the monarchy in entrenching it, at great cost to the country.
“My aim is not simply to criticise you personally, or to question your sincerity, but to challenge the underlying questions your homelessness project raises.”
The letter continues to state that a “challenging discussion” would give William a chance to reflect on his “position, status and unearned wealth” as well as “the role of the monarchy in entrenching the very inequalities that are at the root of the poverty and homelessness you wish to address”.
Members of Republic protested outside the UK Parliament on Wednesday as they called for royal funding to be redistributed in the Labour Government’s Budget.
We told in September how a new report from the anti-monarchy group revealed the royal household costs the taxpayer more than £500 million a year.
The letter added: “Some will say my criticism is unfair, because at least you are doing something.
“Yet that something may well be counter-productive because you are giving a false impression of the root causes and the possible solutions to homelessness.
“Your focus is on charity and the actions of individuals, which while commendable can never provide a lasting solution to the problem.”
Smith conceded that the royals may well choose to dismiss his letter as a PR stunt but that he was “serious and sincere” in wishing to meet with William.
“I don’t claim to have all the answers to the wider issues of inequality, or that our meeting would produce significant changes in our approach,” the letter said.
“But it may give you reason to pause and to reflect on your own position and offer you some fresh perspectives, perspectives you are unlikely to hear from anyone else.”
The National has approached Prince William for comment.
