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Leigh-Anne Pinnock has re-shared a message drawing attention to the cost of living crisis amid the ‘pageantry’ of the King’s coronation.
Millions across the world are expected to watch the coronation of King Charles III on Saturday, however people are drawing attention to the fact many Brits are struggling to pay their bills and are relying on food banks.
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The 31-year-old Little Mix star posted the message on her Instagram Stories. It was originally posted by writer Stuart Warwick on Twitter and accumulated 15,000 likes. It was posted once again by activist Munroe Bergdorf on Instagram this week where it amassed 153,000 likes.
The message is addressed to the world and states: "Dear rest of the world.
“Don’t be fooled by any propaganda you see coming out of the UK this weekend. The mood here is not jubilant, it is sour.
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“England is a fascist nightmare, where there are more food banks than branches of McDonald's.
“We don’t want pageantry, we want affordable food, and rent, and bills.
“The timing of this coronation, with all its gold and bejewelled opulence, couldn’t be more distasteful and sickening.
“It’s unjustifiable and it’s unwanted. If we’re asking God to save anyone it should be the 14.4million people living in poverty, not the King.”
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When Bergdorf shared the message on Instagram, she accompanied it with the following caption: "feel like it would have been a gesture of kindness/true leadership/the right thing to do, for King Charles who is estimated to be worth £1.8bn, to have perhaps used £100m of the £200m he inherited (tax free) from The Queen, to fund his coronation party.
“Instead he is now worth £2bn and asking people who can barely keep the lights/heating on, to foot the bill via their taxes and pledge their allegiance to him whilst he’s riding in a golden carriage and wearing jewels from colonised nations. Baffled.
“Over 14.4 million people in the UK can’t afford to eat every day. 25 percent of London is in poverty. 4 million children are experiencing food poverty."
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According to the Food Foundation, a total of 9.3 million adults experienced food insecurity in January 2023.
A report from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation published in January found that London's poverty rate was 25 percent and 2.3 million are living in poverty.
Celebrities including Stacey Solomon have spoken out against the obsession around the royal family. In 2018 during an episode of Loose Women she said: "It’s freezing cold outside and people are homeless and these people have houses to spare and it does sometimes become a little bit frustrating because I don’t see the purpose of all that money going to this entire family."
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The latest government statistics estimate one in five people, around 14.4 million, are living in poverty in the UK.
The caption continued: “Whether you’re pro or anti monarchy, I don’t understand how in the midst of a cost of living crisis, national worker strikes, soaring inflation, escalating poverty and food bank usage, that anyone would think taxing the poor for an aristo party is anything but a gauche, out of touch and quite frankly obscene display of wealth and power, during an increasingly desperate time for so many.
“God save the people.”
The coronation will take place this weekend at Westminster Abbey. The Palace said it will be 'rooted in long-standing traditions and pageantry' but also 'reflect the monarch's role today and look towards the future'.
Topics: Royal Family, UK News, Celebrity
Gregory Robinson