King Charles hails ‘resilience’ in face of ‘aggression’ during riots after criticism he failed to condemn UK unrest sooner

King Charles III on Friday praised the “resilience” of many, overshadowing the “aggression” and “criminality” of a smaller number, amid some of the worst unrest in British history, Buckingham Palace said.

The king has been criticised for not speaking out sooner against the riots that broke out after three girls were killed in a knife attack on July 29 in a town near Liverpool, and after false information was spread on social media following the killings and an arrest.

The King and the Royal Family are currently in Scotland for their annual summer holiday.

“The King shared how greatly encouraged he was by the many examples of community spirit that have helped counter the aggression and criminality of a few with the compassion and resilience of many,” the palace said in a statement. “His Majesty remains hopeful that the shared values ​​of mutual respect and understanding will continue to strengthen and unite the nation.”

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Charles also extended his “heartfelt thanks to the police and emergency services for all they are doing to restore peace to areas affected by violent unrest,” the palace added, according to BBC News.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Monday that a “standing army” of specialist police officers would be put in place to deal with the riots and the justice system would be strengthened to deal with hundreds of arrests after violent unrest rocked cities across the country over the past week.

“Whatever the apparent motivation, this is not protest, this is pure violence, and we will not tolerate attacks on mosques or our Muslim communities,” Starmer said on Monday. “The law will be applied with all due rigour against anyone found to have taken part.”

Riots and protests involving hundreds of people have created chaos in cities across the country, with dozens of police officers hospitalized after being hit with bricks, bottles, chairs and large wooden poles.

False social media posts claimed the alleged attacker was a radical Islamist who had recently arrived in Britain. However, police identified the attacker as Axel Rudakubana, 17, who was born in Wales to Rwandan parents, and said authorities did not consider the incident to be terrorism-related.

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Earlier this week, Kate Williams, professor of public engagement with history at the University of Reading, told Times Radio: “This would be an opportunity for the king to talk about multiculturalism, the Commonwealth, bringing people together, and I think if I were advising him I would suggest making that statement as early as possible.”

She added: “We are in a time of crisis… this is a surge of violence that is getting worse, it’s not getting better. And we see that people are terrified. There are cities that are going to be gripped tonight by this racist violence, this anti-Islamic violence. It’s just terrible, and I think this is the moment where the monarchy needs to come out and say something.”

The king had previously posted a message on social media saying he and Queen Camilla were “deeply shocked” by the killings.

“We extend our deepest condolences, prayers and sympathy to the families and loved ones of those who so tragically lost their lives, and to all those affected by this truly appalling attack.”

Elsie Dot Stancombe, Bebe King and Alice Dasilva Aguiar, all aged between six and nine, were murdered while attending a dance class in Southport, 17 miles north of Liverpool. Ten others were seriously injured.

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The National Police Chiefs’ Council said 741 people had been arrested in connection with the violence, 304 of whom were charged with criminal offences.

Stephen Sorace of Fox News, The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.