ANTI-MONARCHY campaigners have blasted an upcoming BBC documentary about King Charles – accusing the broadcaster of breaching its own impartiality rules.
The new 90-minute documentary Charles III: The Coronation Year will be screened on BBC One on Boxing Day, showing the King in the first year of his new reign.
Written by royal author Robert Hardman, the documentary offers a “warm and sympathetic account of the new reign,” according to an article on the BBC News website.
The same piece describes the new film as an “affectionate television portrait of the King” which highlights him as a “good-natured figure”.
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The article later adds that there is “no glimpses” of a number of difficult headlines the royals have faced this year, including a palace race row and protesters arrested at the coronation.
Republic CEO Graham Smith, who was among the protesters arrested, told The National the documentary would be an “entirely flattering” and “uncritical portrait” of Charles and that it was the “sort of film that would make Vladimir Putin blush”.
“Charles (above) is a public figure on the public payroll. If a Conservative supporter proposed such a film about Rishi Sunak the BBC wouldn’t go anywhere near it, yet with the royals they bend over backwards to be sycophantic and deferential,” Smith said.
He added: “2023 has been transformational for the debate on the monarchy. Polling shows support is down as low as 52%, the republican movement has grown enormously and there continue to be scandals and questions raised surrounding Charles, Andrew and William.”
The criticism comes after a Guardian investigation revealed last month that the King has directly profited from the deaths of thousands of English people.
It emerged the monarch was using the feudal concept of “bona vacantia” to hoover up the estates of people who died without a will or known next of kin.
It was later revealed that his estate would be transferring £100 million into ethical investment funds following the backlash over the revelations.
Smith continued: “For the BBC to ignore these issues is simply dishonest and unashamedly biased. Judging from the reports the film also gives a dishonest account of Charles’s character and workload.
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“Clearly the intention is to promote and defend the monarchy – not to inform or educate the audience.
“The BBC need to answer some serious questions about how this programme came to be made and what influence the royals had over its production.”
The broadcaster's article on the documentary added that it would offer "glimpses of the King's daily working life, going through the red boxes of government documents, which we learn happens every day apart from Christmas Day and Easter Monday".
When approached by The National, a spokesperson for the BBC said that the broadcaster retained "editorial control".
They added: "Charles III: The Coronation Year is a one-off observational documentary which covers a period of historical significance when the King took on new duties and prepared for the first coronation in this country for 70 years.
"It has unique access to their majesties and those close to them and captures personal moments as they adapt to their new roles. Editorial control is retained by the BBC."
The spokesperson added: "The BBC seeks to reflect a range of viewpoints in news and current affairs coverage of the monarchy.
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"Earlier this year, when documenting the coronation, Panorama on BBC One examined the structures and finances that surround the royal family and featured a newly commissioned poll about attitudes to the monarchy.
"On Radio 4 the Today programme had a debate on whether the UK needs a monarchy and The World This Weekend looked at its future."
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