A now ex-British Council Worker called Angela Gibbins has been sacked for saying that Prince George is a sign of 'white privilege'.
The British Council manager (and former head of global estates at the organisation which promotes British culture overseas) lost her job after The Sun leaked comments she made about the now three-year-old heir to the throne.
A band called The Dub Pistols posted a meme of the Prince on social media. The meme called the heir a 'f***ing d***head', and Gibbins commented under their post, giving explicit thoughts about the young Prince.
According to the Independent, the meme that was posted began an online row, which prompted Gibbons to write to friends over social media:
White privilege. That cheeky grin is the (already locked-in) innate knowledge that he's Royal, rich, advantaged and will never know any difficulties or hardships in life. Let's find photos of three-year-old Syrian refugee children and see if they look alike, eh?
She apparently later added, 'I'm sound in my socialist, atheist and republican opinions. I don't believe the royal family have any place in a modern democracy, least of all when they live on public money. That's privilege and it needs to end.'
Perhaps unsurprisingly, these comments were leaked by The Sun and although she sent an apology to Kensington Palace, she was still suspended from her position for gross misconduct and subsequently lost her job.
However, Gibbons is fighting back, claiming that it is 'overwhelmingly clear' that the decision was made in haste, and that they hung 'the claimant out to dry' without a proper investigation.
Her previous salary was £80k and now she's looking for compensation, damages as well as her old job, or a new position within the organisation.
According to the evidence that Gibbons brought to a Central London employment tribunal, she claims she has been unfairly discriminated against due to her politically left-leaning views. The 53 year-old believes her political beliefs are why she was fired.
Her witness statement was read out:
I had always been open and honest about these if asked. I can remember being variously bated as 'the red under the bed' or 'the quiet Corbynista' in meetings with senior colleagues, many of whom often made disparaging jokes about my left-wing views. I have also been very clear that none of the comments I made were abusive or used any kind of foul language. We were actually talking about how all children should have the same rights, no privileges, no matter what their background.
It is worth noting that the patron of the British Council is in fact George's granny, Queen Elizabeth II, and its vice-patron is Prince George's father William.
The Council's EU regional director told the hearing, 'I believe there is a recklessness that comes into play when you choose to comment under a picture of a three-year-old child about that three-year-old child.'
The case is ongoing.
Daisy Murray is the Digital Fashion Editor at ELLE UK, spotlighting emerging designers, sustainable shopping, and celebrity style. Since joining in 2016 as an editorial intern, Daisy has run the gamut of fashion journalism - interviewing Molly Goddard backstage at London Fashion Week, investigating the power of androgynous dressing and celebrating the joys of vintage shopping.
