Taoiseach calls for “respect” after TDs criticise RTE broadcasting coronation

The state broadcaster is set to devote four hours of television coverage to the coronation of King Charles III this weekend.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has called for "respect" for monarchists, after two People Before Profit TDs questioned the broadcasting of King Charles' coronation on RTE this coming Saturday. The event, which will take place at Westminster Abbey, will see Charles and his wife Camilla take part in the first royal coronation in seven decades. Raising concerns about the amount of dedicated coverage being afforded to the event, Richard Boyd Barrett and Paul Murphy objected to RTE's decision in Leinster House. [caption id="attachment_773387" align="alignnone" width="640"] TDs Paul Murphy and Richard Boyd Barrett were extremely critical of the state broadcaster's airing of the coronation. (Credit: Rolling News)[/caption] Mr. Murphy, who described the monarchy as an institution built on "racism, privilege and empire", declared the coronation of King Charles III to be a "very obvious attempt to rehabilitate" the royal family's wounded image. "Why on earth is our state broadcaster spending four hours on a Saturday displaying this so-called coronation", added the Dublin South-West TD. Similarly, his party compatriot Richard Boyd Barrett labelled the monarchy as "associated with empire, with colonialism, with shocking inequalities between a tiny group who have inherited power". Mr. Barrett also critiqued the cost of the coronation, saying that "huge amounts of public money in Britain will be spent on this coronation, an insult to the huge numbers of people living in poverty, and... the national broadcaster in this country is going to broadcast this for four hours". [caption id="attachment_773388" align="alignnone" width="640"] Taoiseach Leo Varadkar called for "respect" to be given to monarchists. (Credit: Rolling News)[/caption] Further adding to their admonishment of the decision to broadcast the coronation, the pair of TDs also took aim at Michelle O'Neill's decision to attend the ceremony in an act of bipartisanship.

"We think it is perfectly possible and necessary to build a united socialist movement of working-class people from a Catholic background, Protestant background, and a non-religious background, not on the basis of this sort of anachronistic and hated institution... even in Britain only 29% of people think the monarchy is very important".

However, these comments were rubbished by Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, who said that the model of constitutional monarchy is backed by the majority of the people in the UK, ad that it must be respected. "The United Kingdom is a constitutional monarchy. That position supported by the majority of its people. I think that's something we should respect", remarked the Fine Gael Leader. Related Articles:

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