Prince William warned against 'compromising his position' concerning Israel and Gaza
EXCLUSIVE: Prince William must tread a fine line between speaking out and maintaining his apolitical position as a member of the Royal Family.
Prince William visits British Red Cross amidst crisis in Gaza
Prince William has been warned by a royal expert about "compromising his position" after he spoke out calling for peace and an end to the conflict between Israel and Hamas.
The Prince of Wales paid a visit to the British Red Cross headquarters today, during which he expressed his desire for all hostage to be released and for the killing to end.
Royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams backed William's stance but added that he muist be careful to not be seen to be expressing political affiliations, something the Royal Family must avoid.
He told Express.co.uk: "In speaking out about 'the terrible human cost of the conflict' and 'the desperate need for increased humanitarian support' he is trying to use his position to help, with carefully balanced engagements in Britain, visiting those providing aid and a synagogue.
"There are those who feel a monarch should avoid contentious matters. What is important is that he should avoid talking positions which are party political. It is essential to raise awareness whilst avoiding compromising his position."
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Mr Fitzwilliams continued: "In this he is following in his father’s footsteps, as Charles always saw the role of Prince of Wales as one where he could be active in helping, in the case of the Middle East, it was furthering understanding between religions.
In 2018 Prince William became the first royal to pay an official visit to Israel and the Palestinian Territories, with his father following suit just a couple of years later.
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In his statement the Prince said: "I remain deeply concerned about the terrible human cost of the conflict in the Middle East since the Hamas terrorist attack on October 7. Too many have been killed. I, like so many others, want to see an end to the fighting as soon as possible.
"There is a desperate need for increased humanitarian support to Gaza. It’s critical that aid gets in and the hostages are released. Sometimes it is only when faced with the sheer scale of human suffering that the importance of permanent peace is brought home.
"Even in the darkest hour, we must not succumb to the counsel of despair. I continue to cling to the hope that a brighter future can be found and I refuse to give up on that."
The Express understands that the British Government and Foreign Office were informed about the contents of the speech beforehand.
This unprecedented statement comes ahead of William participating in a series of engagements designed to recognise the consequences for all those caught up in the war.
He is set to meet aid workers helping to provide humanitarian support in Gaza and Israel, hearing about the experiences of those on the ground, and will also separately join a synagogue discussion with young people from different communities who are fighting against discrimination and anti-Semitism.