Prince William reportedly encouraged his late grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, to make a public intervention ahead of Scotland’s 2014 independence referendum, a new book has alleged.
According to royal biographer Valentine Low, the then 32-year-old prince applied indirect “pressure” on the monarch just days before Scots went to the polls, joining then–Prime Minister David Cameron in urging her to speak out.
Four days before the historic vote, the Queen, speaking informally to well-wishers outside Crathie Kirk in Aberdeenshire, remarked that she hoped Scots would “think very carefully about the future.” The carefully worded comment — reportedly crafted after discussions between her private secretary, Sir Christopher Geidt, and Cabinet Secretary Sir Jeremy Heywood — was widely interpreted as subtle support for keeping the UK together.
At the time, Buckingham Palace insisted the Queen remained above politics, saying: “We never comment on private exchanges or conversations. We just reiterate what the Queen has always said: she maintains her constitutional impartiality. As the Queen has always said, this is a matter for the people of Scotland.”
The revelations have reignited debate over royal neutrality. Former SNP MP Tommy Sheppard, who is seeking election to the Scottish Parliament next May, called for clarification.
“If true, it runs a coach and horses through the claim that the Royal Family are not involved in politics and further undermines their standing,” Sheppard said. “The public have a right to know if this happened or not. It is time for William to tell what happened.”
Kensington Palace has yet to comment on the claim.
