Vanessa Feltz slams protests ‘kicking off’ ahead of Queen’s funeral but ‘let the discussions rage’ afterwards-Meghna Amin-Entertainment – Metro

This Morning guest Vanessa Feltz has slammed protests ‘kicking off’ ahead of the Queen’s funeral, taking place next Monday.

Britain’s longest-reigning monarch died on September 8, aged 96, while surrounded by family at Balmoral Castle, Buckingham Palace confirmed.

It has since been announced that the Queen’s funeral will take place on Monday, September 19, with the day being made a UK bank holiday.

Since her death, and King Charles III accession to the throne, protests have been taking place around the capital.

One person was arrested yesterday for shouting ‘who elected him?’ while another was charged after ‘holding  an abolish the monarchy’ sign in a separate incident in Edinburgh.

Speaking about protests like these during a segment on This Morning today, Vanessa urged people to ‘maintain dignity’.

‘Protests are valid’ Vanessa maintained (Picture: ITV)

She said to hosts Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby, as well as guests Camilla Tominey and Matthew Wright: ‘Discussions about redundancies or inheritance tax are absolutely valid. I think protests are valid, free speech is imperative and extremely important.

‘But I also think, it’s perfectly possible, as people do in their own lives, to maintain a certain level of decorum, in the discussion quite frankly, until Monday is over, and when Monday is over, and the grieving process for the royal family then they’ve got several more days for mourning for themself, we will realise they’re going on and appreciate and accept and everything else.

Anti-monarchy protests have been going on (Picture: REX)

Vanessa urged people to ‘maintain dignity’ until after the funeral (Picture: Getty)

‘And then let the discussions rage, why not, but I really feel, just in terms of manners, what’s appropriate.’

Matthew chimed in, highlighting the backlash Centre Parcs has faced for telling guests to ‘stay somewhere else’ on the day of the funeral.

Vanessa continued: ‘I think this is the part where we show some kind of sensitivity, empathy and decent behaviour, we don’t start kicking off!’

She added: ‘You sit on it for a few days, as you would if it were in your own family or somebody that you know, you behave appropriately.’

Yesterday, protesters held up blank signs during a demonstration in defence of free speech after a number of anti-monarchists were arrested.

Around a dozen people stood silently along St Giles Street in Edinburgh, only metres away from where Queen Elizabeth II’s coffin was lying at rest today.

Several protesters have been held in recent days for expressing their opposition to the monarchy as King Charles III ascends to the throne.

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One person was led away by police for holding a paper sign reading ‘Not My King’ outside the Palace of Westminster on Monday.

Met Police later threatened to arrest a barrister under the Public Order Bill if he were to write the same slogan on a blank piece of paper he held in Parliament Square.

The anti-royalist protesters in Edinburgh said they would not write anything on their plain paper for fear of being arrested by police patrolling the Royal Mile.

This Morning airs weekdays from 10am on ITV.

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