Secret message the Royal Family sent the public on Commonwealth Day | Royal | News

The king sought to project his message of unity at today’s Commonwealth Day Service, where he was joined by his son, heir and stoic sister for the key royal event.

What the King didn’t pay attention to was a large group of anti-monarchy protesters chanting slogans across the street. The group of flag-waving Republicans shouted “what did you know” as they held signs with photos of his disgraced brother Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor.

The noise was largely drowned out by the Abbey bells and musicians, but there was no escaping the bright yellow banners and flags a few meters away.

Seeing senior royals walk past monarchy opponents asking questions about the Andrew scandal was a stark reminder of the crisis affecting the crown.

The police investigation continues as the King attempts to distance himself from his brother by stripping him of his titles, exiling him to the private Sandringham Estate and publishing carefully worded statements.

And public anger continues to grow, with a growing movement from politicians and activists calling for Andrew to be kicked out of the line of succession.

This week, the King is expected to discuss the issue with Commonwealth leaders because removing him as successor would require each Kingdom to enact its own legislation.

Commonwealth nations are understood to agree that he should be removed from the eighth line to the throne.

But the King tried to keep a firm focus on celebrating today’s family of nations rather than the problems facing his own family.

The public meeting of the King, Queen and the Prince and Princess of Wales since Andrew’s arrest last month was a significant moment for the Firm.

There’s no doubt that the demonstration of unity has reached a crucial point, but the prevalence of protesters proves that the questions surrounding the former Duke of York are not going away any time soon.