Royal politics: Did Kate and William just hint at how they REALLY feel about Brexit?
THE DUKE and Duchess of Cambridge visited farmers in Cumbria on Tuesday, and seemed to hint at how they really feel about Brexit.
Kate Middleton and Prince William shear sheep in Cumbria
Members of the Royal Family are, as a rule, expected to remain politically neutral. When the Brexit referendum happened in 2016, Buckingham Palace released a statement regarding the Queen’s feeling on the matter. It said: “The Queen remains politically neutral as she has for 63 years. The referendum is a matter for the British people to decide.” But this week, Kate Middleton and Prince William, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, appeared to hint at their feelings about the Brexit situation.
Sitting with local farmers in Patterdale near Ullswater over tea and cake, William asked if they were “worried” about a no deal Brexit.
The group told the royals that it could be “absolutely dire” for their livelihoods.
One man said he thought farmers who voted for Brexit was like “turkeys voting for Christmas”.
Adam Day, who runs the Cumbria Farmer Network, a non-profit organisation supporting farmers, told the visiting royals about the challenges facing modern farmers.
He said: “The reality is that there is not enough income to make a living from old-fashioned traditional sheep farming or cattle farming. They have got to do other things to survive.”
He told William and Kate that farmers are facing up to 40 percent tariffs on lamb exports if the UK leaves the EU without a deal.
He also said farms faced losing half their value.
He said: “The worst case scenario is a real black hole that a lot of farmers would struggle to get through.”
The line of questioning from the Duke is marked departure from royal protocol, which usually sees them steering well clear of political chat.
Danny Teasdale, who runs a community interest company in Glenridding, said: “The conversation was really good and they were really interested. I was impressed.
“They were really keen to know what was going on and we told them there were a lot of positive aspects of farming that don’t get brought up.
“William did want to know how people felt about Brexit.
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“It’s just uncertainty and the not knowing.
“It does have implications if there are massive tariffs applied. A lot of farming is an export market.”
The royal couple also had a taste of life as sheep farmers as they tried their hand at sheep shearing at Deepdale Hall Farm.
After helping farmer Jack Cartmel to shear one sheep, William joked: “She’s not going to be happy with her haircut!”