Prince Charles makes a rare political statement, slams UK’s policy

Queen Elizabeth’s eldest son and heir to British throne, Prince Charles called the UK government´s plan to send asylum-seekers to Rwanda ‘appalling.’

According to reports, the British government intends to fly the first planeload of 31 claimants to Rwanda on Tuesday.

Prince Charles is also set to represent his mother Queen Elizabeth II at a Commonwealth summit in Kigali later this month.

The future king joined senior clerics in denouncing the plan, and fears the issue could overshadow the Commonwealth summit on June 24-25, The Times reported.

"He said he was more than disappointed at the policy," the newspaper quoted an unidentified source as saying.

"He said he thinks the government´s whole approach is appalling. It was clear he was not impressed with the government´s direction of travel," the source added.

A spokesman for Charles declined to comment on private conversations, "except to restate that he remains politically neutral".

"Matters of policy are decisions for government," the spokesman added, according to AFP.

The reported intervention from the Prince of Wales threatens to stoke controversy about his political views as he shoulders more of the duties of his 96-year-old mother.

In a BBC documentary marking his 70th birthday in 2018, Charles said he would no longer make public interventions on political matters once he becomes king.

"I´m not that stupid," he said.