Charles’ remark not worth the fuss

THURSDAY MORNING EDITORIAL — Good grief, is Prince Charles not entitled to a personal opinion?

The man can put his foot in it sometimes (though seldom nearing the lofty heights displayed by his father Prince Philip in that regard) but the indignation over his remark about Adolf Hitler is nonsense.

During his visit to Halifax on Wednesday, Charles told a woman that Vladimir Putin “is doing just about the same as Hitler.”

The woman had lost relatives in the Holocaust. Charles was talking about Putin’s annexation of Crimea from Ukraine, comparing it, no doubt, to Hitler’s invasion of Poland.

This has triggered an international scandal. Russia is alarmed. The media are abuzz. British MPs are in a tizzy.

The way it’s being reported, you would think Charles was comparing Putin to Hitler in every way. In fact, he was talking about a particular historical event, saying specifically that Putin’s annexation of Crimea was comparable to Hitler’s outrageous actions against neighbouring sovereign nations in Europe.

He didn’t say Putin was a monster, or that Putin was committing a holocaust. He was expressing an honest opinion on a solitary issue, and one that wasn’t much off the mark, at that.

If Royals aren’t even allowed to express a thoughtful and heartfelt opinion without being called on the carpet by those who think silence is the only virtue the monarchy should display, it’s time to take a hard look at our values.

Far from committing a gaffe, Charles has risen a notch or two above the average.