Royal gets embroiled in EU debate

A SPEECH given by Prince William has been perceived as a signal of his support for remaining in the EU, reports from February 16 claim.

The Duke of Cambridge, 33, was attending a pre-arranged engagement at the Foreign and Commonwealth office when he gave the rousing speech, describing Britain as an “outward looking nation” with a “proud tradition of seeking out allies”. 

His comments were directed at graduates of the Foreign Office’s Diplomatic Academy, who were receiving certificates from the popular Duke, on the same day that David Cameron arrived in Brussels to iron out the final creases in Britain’s new EU deal. 

Sources close to Prince William deny that his comments were ‘politically coded’ and say that he never mentioned Europe once during his speech. 

Others suggest he has willingly jumped into the EU debate on a course which echoes that taken by the Queen on the eve of the Scottish referendum, when she cautioned renegade Scots to “think very carefully about the future”.

In what some have deemed a direct address to Eurosceptics, the father-of-two insisted that the British “have always sought to explore what is beyond the horizon” while adding that that very same thirst for adventure “continues to drive our economy, our cultural and educational exports and our Armed Forces and Diplomatic Service”.

Referring to the necessity for cooperation with others on the most pressing global concerns of the day, Prince William told the graduate diplomats “in an increasingly turbulent world, our ability to unite in common action with other nations is essential. It is the bedrock of our security and prosperity and is central to your work”.

He then went on to single out the UN, NATO and the Middle East as “the big questions with which you wrestle” but did not include Brexit on his list.

As accusations of a politicised speech began to surface after the event, a spokesperson for Kensington Palace described the timing of the remarks as “completely coincidental”, while ‘In’ campaigners staked a claim on their newest high-profile supporter, arguing that Prince William’s comments showed how “people from all walks of life” were saying Yes to the UK’s remaining in the European Union.

Foreign Office officials confirmed that they had not read the speech in advance, while a source in Downing Street said the comments had taken them by surprise.  

In her State visit to Germany in 2015, the Queen made more openly supportive comments about already troubled Euro relations when she expressed her gratitude for Britain’s “irreversible” friendship with Germany as well as stating that “division in Europe is dangerous”.