King Charles III on Friday praised the “resilience” of the many during the worst unrest in British history, which overshadowed the “aggression” and “criminal behaviour” of a few, Buckingham Palace said.
The monarch has been criticised for not speaking out sooner in response to the unrest that erupted after three young girls were stabbed to death in a town near Liverpool on July 29 and misinformation spread on social media following the murders and arrests.
The King and his royal family are currently in Scotland for their annual summer holiday.
“The King said he was deeply heartened by the many examples of community spirit where the aggression and criminal acts of a few were countered by the compassion and perseverance of the many,” the palace said in a statement. “It is His Majesty the King’s hope that our shared values of mutual respect and understanding will continue to strengthen and unite the nation.”
Prince Charles also “expressed his sincere gratitude to the police and emergency services who are working hard to restore peace to areas affected by the violent unrest,” the palace added, according to BBC News.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Monday he would create a “standing army” of specialist police to deal with riots and strengthen the justice system to deal with hundreds of arrests following violent unrest in the country’s cities over the past week.
“Whatever the motivation, this was not a protest, it was pure violence and we will not tolerate attacks on mosques or Muslim communities,” Starmer said on Monday. “Anyone identified as taking part will be faced with the full force of the law.”
Riots and protests involving hundreds of people have caused chaos in towns and cities across the country, with dozens of police officers taken to hospital after being beaten with bricks, bottles, chairs and large wooden poles.
False social media posts claimed the suspect was an Islamic extremist who had recently arrived in the UK, but police identified him as 17-year-old Axel Rudakubana, born in Wales to Rwandan parents, and said authorities were not treating the incident as terrorism-related.
Earlier this week, Kate Williams, professor of history at the University of Reading, told Times Radio: “This is an opportunity for the King to talk about multiculturalism, the Commonwealth and the unity of peoples and I think if I was advising him I would suggest making that statement sooner.” [rather] “Earlier than later.”
She added: “We are in a time of crisis. The violence is only getting worse and it’s not letting up. We see people are terrified. We have cities tonight that are being hit by racist violence, anti-Muslim violence. It’s absolutely awful. I think it’s time for the royal family to speak up and say something.”
The monarch had previously taken to social media to say he and Camilla were “deeply shocked” by the murder.
“We send our heartfelt condolences, prayers and deepest sympathies to the families and loved ones of those tragically lost their lives and to all those affected by this truly horrific attack.”
Elsie Dot Stancombe, Bebe King and Alice DaSilva Aguiar, all aged between six and nine, were killed in the attack while attending a dance class in Southport, 17 miles north of Liverpool. Ten others were seriously injured.
The National Police Chiefs’ Council said some 741 people had been arrested in connection with the violence, with 304 of them charged with criminal offences.
Fox News’ Steven Sorellice, The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.
