Royal Visit Represents Staunch Support for Rock’s British Sovereignty

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 Tuesday, June 28, 2022 - 09:04

IN MY VIEW, by MARK VIALES

The Earl and Countess of Wessex’s visit to the Rock earlier this month represented an aggressive move on the political chessboard by the UK Government. On face value, the royal visit looks to have irked Spain more than anything else, but the underlying message of Gibraltar’s British sovereignty remained rock solid. The three-day celebrations marking Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee were felt far and wide, not least across the border, where our not-so-friendly media counterparts had sharpened their pitchforks and were ready to strike. The move is also consistent with Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s no-nonsense sovereignty policy, which has seen one of the strongest showings of support in Westminster for Gibraltar for some time.


TIMELY AND COORDINATED
Gibraltar has seen an upturn in important visits that have snowballed into this significant moment in history where Llanitos once again find themselves in the spotlight under anachronistic claims. Last year, Chief Minister Fabian Picardo received Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab – then UK Foreign Secretary- while other significant high-ranking officials have made similar visits since then. Prince Edward presented the Royal Gibraltar Regiment with new Colours at Windsor Castle in the presence of The Queen before visiting the Rock, which also set the tone. It was a grand ceremony with likely intent to promote the Rock’s Britishness amongst the many MPs fighting the Rock’s corner who were in attendance. Indeed, Gibraltar Governor Sir David Steel said in an interview following the event that the Royal visit was a clear reminder of the ‘unbreakable bond between the UK and Gibraltar’.

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