Queen Elizabeth II has urged “coming together to seek out the common ground,” in comment believed to be in reference to the Parliamentary deadlock over Brexit.
Speaking at the Sandringham Women’s Institute meeting on Thursday, Her Royal Highness reflected on “a century of change,” in comments reported by The Telegraph, saying, “Of course, every generation faces fresh challenges and opportunities.
“As we look for new answers in the modern age, I for one prefer the tried and tested recipes, like speaking well of each other and respecting different points of view; coming together to seek out the common ground; and never losing sight of the bigger picture.
“To me, these approaches are timeless and I commend them to everyone.”
The comments, made during a speech to mark the 100th anniversary of the Sandringham chapter of the WI, echoed those the Queen said in her Christmas speech when she urged respecting “deeply held differences” and expressing “common decency towards others” — widely interpreted as being an appeal for civility ahead of the UK’s exit of the EU on March 29th, 2019.
The Head of State tends to maintain a position of political neutrality, but her comments have at times appeared to be directed at commenting on or influencing contemporary political issues.
On Tuesday, the House of Commons is set to vote on Prime Minister Theresa May’s Brexit ‘Plan B’ after her Withdrawal Agreement was voted down last week over protest of the Irish backstop, which could see Northern Ireland locked into regulatory alignment with the EU indefinitely, threatening the sanctity of the Union.
Mrs May is also fighting rebellion within her own Cabinet as senior remainers Amber Rudd and Richard Harrington have threatened to resign over leaving the EU on World Trade Organization (WTO) terms, with other Remainer plots aimed at delaying or stopping Brexit altogether.
Making a clean break of the EU and trading with the bloc on WTO terms — referred to as ‘No Deal’ Brexit — is the legal default position if the UK Parliament does not agree to a deal with the EU by exit day.
Breitbart London reported this week Government sources had said Queen Elizabeth II may be advised to refuse Royal Assent to legislation aimed at betraying Brexit.
Leading historian Andrew Roberts last week called on the Monarch to “prorogue” (suspend) Parliament until after March 29th to prevent hard-line remainer MPs from “flout[ing] the will of the people” by stopping a ‘No Deal’ Brexit.
“She would be well within her constitutional rights, and protecting democracy,” Mr Roberts had written.
The Sun claimed ahead of the 2016 referendum that the Queen had told dinner guests in private that she supported a vote to leave the European Union — claims Buckingham Palace strongly denied.