Prince Charles warned to stay out of politics

Mar 3, 2006, 16:02 GMT

Britain's Prince Charles has been warned to stay out of politics.

The royal came under fire amid controversy over the way he has lobbied the British government.

Earlier this week, it was revealed Charles urged former Lord Chancellor Lord Irvine to look again at the impact the Human Rights Act - which became law in 2000 - would have on the armed forces.

He also spoke with British Prime Minister Tony Blair about the controversial legislation.

But former defence minister Peter Kilfoyle says Charles's intervention in 2001 - revealed days after it was claimed the prince bombarded Whitehall with letters - was inappropriate.

He is quoted in Britain's Daily Mail newspaper as saying: 'I think it's vital that he should stay above the political fray because these sorts of issues are highly politically charged.

'Prince Charles should not be immersing himself in these sorts of political controversies - it's not appropriate.'

Labour MP Ian Davidson also slammed the royal's actions, saying: 'He needs to realise that if he expresses views which stray into the arena of party politics, then that really is a very dangerous route for the monarchy to go down.

'The British public generally see him as a bit flaky. Hopefully, he will mature enough to realise what role he should play.'

A Clarence House source said: 'The prince does write to ministers from time to time and has three or four meetings with the Prime Minister each year during which he raises a variety of issues.

'This letter must be put in perspective. I n making these representations, the prince was doing so on behalf of those regiments of which he is colonel-in-chief, whose top brass had themselves commented on the issue to him.'

Copyright 2006 BANG Media International