Princess Kate and Prince William have followed Queen Camilla and King Charles in a matter of royal protocol.
The Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC), which brings together 15 UK aid charities to raise funds to respond to overseas disasters, has issued a new statement regarding the King and Queen.
The group confirmed that Charles, 75, and Camilla, 77, have donated to help victims of the war in Israel, the Occupied Territories, Lebanon, and the wider Middle East region.
Writing on social media platform X, formerly Twitter, the DEC said: “A huge thank you to The King and Queen for being amongst the first to donate to the DEC Middle East Humanitarian Appeal @RoyalFamily.
“DEC charities are providing life-saving aid in Gaza, Lebanon and the wider region.
“With the generous help of the UK public, they will be able to do so much more.”
Kensington Palace later confirmed that Princess Kate and Prince William, both 42, also made a private donation to this appeal.
Royal commentator Richard Palmer wrote on social media: “Protocol is a very overused word when it comes to the royals but there is an established procedure for things like this and also some official messages: the Prince and Princess of Wales follow the King and Queen in making their announcements.”
A huge thank you to The King and Queen for being amongst the first to donate to the DEC Middle East Humanitarian Appeal @RoyalFamily
DEC charities are providing life-saving aid in Gaza, Lebanon and the wider region. With the generous help of the UK public they will be able to… pic.twitter.com/iUxbSXVEJs
— DEC (@decappeal) October 17, 2024
In February, Prince William made an unprecedented intervention relating to the war in Gaza.
The Prince of Wales issued a statement saying “too many have been killed” in the conflict, and “I, like so many others, want to see an end to the fighting as soon as possible”.
Prince William’s statement was issued before his visit to the British Red Cross to discuss the devastating humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
The heir to the throne said: “There is a desperate need for increased humanitarian support to Gaza. It’s critical that aid gets in and hostages are released.”
Prince William pictured in Jerusalem in 2018
Getty
Prince William pictured in Ramallah, Palestine back in 2018
Getty
The prince had thought “long and hard” before making his intervention, royal sources are reported to have said, but decided the extent of human suffering in Gaza compelled him to speak out.
The statement was issued with the knowledge of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and No 10 said the UK government welcomed the intervention.
However, Nigel Farage said it was a “step too far” for the country’s future King, and suggested he stick to presenting the Baftas.
In 2018, Prince William became the first member of the Royal Family to visit the occupied West Bank.
