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When King Charles III ascended the throne, the new monarch is said to have accepted he would have a changed role with less freedom to intervene in politics. But he had reckoned without the Windsor framework.
It was a moment with a distinctly royal flavour – sealed at the Windsor Guildhall, where Charles married Camilla, under vast portraits of past monarchs.
As Ursula von der Leyen took to the podium, a painting of the young Queen Elizabeth was at her left shoulder. Above Rishi Sunak, the queen mother looked sternly on from her golden portrait. Later, Von der Leyen sealed a historic moment by taking tea with Charles, beaming as she was greeted by his equerry and private secretary.
Outraged Tory Brexiters and the Democratic Unionist party, including the former first minister Arlene Foster, condemned Sunak’s judgment in involving the monarchy in such a controversial political moment. Even Labour MPs questioned the constitutional implications.
But among those in the room, there were subtle hints this was not something entirely at the instigation of the prime minister. Von der Leyen has always described herself as passionate anglophile with a love for British history and – it was hinted – a personal desire to meet Charles.
That might have seemed a little too convenient, but reporters departing the press conference happened upon Von der Leyen at the entrance to the Guildhall, keen to go back into the historic room and look at the royal portraits.
No 10 insisted that the royal connections were entirely coincidental, not intended to send a signal to royalist unionists or to suggest the deal had a seal of approval from the king.
Buckingham Palace’s own announcement – interpreted as placing the onus on Sunak – said that the king was acting on “the government’s advice” and that their discussions would feature a “range of topics”.
No 10’s line was the opposite – that it was a decision for Buckingham Palace. “It’s not uncommon for his majesty to accept invitations to meet certain leaders – he has met President [Andrzej] Duda [of Poland] and President Zelenskiy recently. He is meeting with the president of the EU today.”
Sunak’s spokesperson batted away suggestions that the royal audience could be seen as an endorsement by the palace of the Northern Ireland protocol deal. “We’d never be seen to frame any action as an endorsement,” the spokesperson said.
Asked why the final protocol talks were taking place in Windsor, he added: “There are a number of occasions when these sorts of talks have been held in significant places, this is no different.”
Foster, who led the DUP during the negotiations for Theresa May and Boris Johnson’s Brexit deals, tweeted: “I cannot quite believe that No 10 would ask HM the king to become involved in the finalising of a deal as controversial as this one.
“It’s crass and will go down very badly in NI. We must remember this is not the king’s decision but the government, who it appears are tone-deaf.”
The Labour MP Chris Bryant said it was a “terrible mistake from the government – we should never bring the monarchy into political disputes”.
Sammy Wilson, the DUP’s chief whip, was also deeply critical of the timing of the meeting, saying it risked “dragging the king into a hugely controversial political issue”.
The former cabinet minister Jacob Rees-Mogg said the meeting called into question the king’s role when he had a duty to approve parliament’s legislation. “I think the sovereign should only be involved when things have been completed and accepted,” he told GB News.
“The king gives assent to acts of parliament when parliament has agreed, he doesn’t express his view on acts of parliament when they are going through the process. I think the same applies – that his majesty should not be involved until there is full support for this agreement.”
But with the deal done, with warm words from Von der Leyen for “dear Rishi” and a promise of a fresh era of relations with the EU, the tea at Windsor Castle took place despite the protestations. The topics on the agenda for the pair were said to be the climate crisis and the war in Ukraine, with the protocol deal complete.
No 10 will hope the outrage over the cosy chat will fade as Westminster becomes distracted by poring over the newly released details of the Windsor framework.
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