Britain’s political crisis deepened on Tuesday as reports emerged that Buckingham Palace privately warned Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer not to drag King Charles III into the growing turmoil surrounding his government.
According to reports, Palace officials sought clarification from Downing Street on whether the King should still proceed with delivering the King’s Speech scheduled for Wednesday amid mounting calls for Starmer to resign.
The development comes after a wave of ministerial resignations and increasing pressure within the Labour Party following a disastrous local election outing that saw the party lose more than 1,500 councillors and surrender control of Wales for the first time.
Political website Politico reported that sources familiar with discussions between the Palace and government officials said Buckingham Palace was determined to keep the monarch out of the political crisis.
“The Palace view is: ‘We do not want to be any part of this conversation — do not bring us into it,’” the report quoted a source as saying.
The King’s Speech, traditionally written by the sitting Prime Minister and delivered by the monarch during the formal opening of Parliament, outlines the government’s legislative agenda for the coming parliamentary session.
However, uncertainty surrounding Starmer’s leadership has now cast a shadow over the event, with critics questioning whether the Prime Minister will even survive politically long enough to implement the agenda being presented.
Reports indicate that more than 80 Labour MPs have called on Starmer to step aside and trigger a leadership contest following the backlash from the local elections.
The political tension has also sparked debate among commentators and members of the public, with some arguing that the King is being placed in an uncomfortable constitutional position by being asked to present a programme tied to a government facing internal collapse.
One source quoted by Politico described the situation as embarrassing for the monarchy.
“It is very embarrassing for the King that his government is such a shambles that he has to read out something that may or may not still be the government’s programme by the end of the week,” the source reportedly said.
Despite the political storm, Buckingham Palace is said to have made it clear that King Charles will continue carrying out his constitutional duties as planned, while insisting that the crisis remains a matter for politicians and Parliament to resolve.
Neither Downing Street nor Buckingham Palace officially commented on the reports.
