Prince Charles breaks protocol with Christmas message

He’s known for his philanthropic work, but while the royal family is supposed to steer clear of interfering in politics, Prince Charles has used his Christmas message to send a stern warning.

The prince was delivering his speech as part of the BBC’s Thought of the Day program and while many expected it to be a more generic Christmas message, Charles has surprised many by saying the world is dangerously close to repeating the “dark days” of World War 2.

After talking about trouble in the Middle East, he said the world needed to learn to practice more tolerance.

“We are now seeing the rise of many populist groups across the world that are increasingly aggressive towards those who adhere to a minority faith,” he said.

“All of this has deeply disturbing echoes of the dark days of the 1930s.

“I was born in 1948 – just after the end of World War II in which my parents’ generation had fought, and died, in a battle against intolerance, monstrous extremism and an inhuman attempt to exterminate the Jewish population of Europe.

“That, nearly seventy years later, we should still be seeing such evil persecution is, to me, beyond all belief. We owe it to those who suffered and died so horribly not to repeat the horrors of the past.

“Normally, at Christmas, we think of the birth of Our Lord Jesus Christ. I wonder, though, if this year we might remember how the story of the Nativity unfolds – with the fleeing of the Holy Family to escape violent persecution.”

He ended his speech by calling on people to be more respectful towards each other.

“Whichever religious path we follow, the destination is the same – to value and respect the other person, accepting their right to live out their peaceful response to the love of God,” he finished.

His powerful words have drawn huge support around the world, with many saying he has described exactly how they were feeling.

Do you agree with Prince Charles’ message? Or do you think royals should stay out of political commentary?