Camilla and the Convict's Canvas
Public Order, and Illegal Hunting - is it wise for the Queen to unveil a new portrait of a man convicted of the first, and in court in July for the other?It seems the Queen is telling her subjects that breaking the law is something to be celebrated.
A boastful Facebook post from the Countryside Alliance showed us that, on Friday 3rd June 2023, Camilla unveiled a painting honouring John Holliday (retiring Master of the Belvoir Hunt.) – https:// m.facebook.com
The painting is part of a collection by The British Sporting Art Trust, a registered charity, believed to be claiming public grants. It seems this painting has been commissioned to honour his infamy in opposition to the Hunting Act. Camilla is listed as a patron. – https://bsat.co.uk/about-us/patrons-trustees
John Holliday was convicted of public disorder in 2005 for breaking into the House of Commons in 2004. Alongside others, some known to be chums of Charles, they mounted this assault to protest the Hunting Act. – source The Guardian 2005 – “Eight pro-hunt protesters were convicted today of violating the Public Order Act after invading the House of Commons during a debate on the fox hunting bill last year.”- https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2005/may/26/hunting.ruralaffairs
Holliday was already a ringleader of a radical direct action group that blockaded the Severn bridge – source The Guardian 2004 – “Mr Holliday, one of the founders of radical direct action in pro-hunting circles, lent a militant edge to the wealthy group. Four years ago, as one of the youngest professional huntsmen in the country, he caused chaos when the direct action group he helped create organised a three-hour blockade of the new Severn bridge”. – https://www.theguardian.com/uk/ 2004/sep/17/hunting.immigrationpolicy
John Holliday is currently charged with illegal hunting and the killing of a fox in January 2022. The case is ongoing. Apparently he is next due in court July 11th 2023. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leicestershire- 61993491
The video of the kill is very distressing. https://nwhsa.wordpress.com/2022/01/17/beware-graphicvideo/
So, what’s the problem?
Holliday has been convicted of a Public Order Offence and for blockading the Severn Bridge. He was also a member of a “radical direct action group”. In the past few years, these types of offences have received a great deal of public interest, with XR and Just Stop Oil being heavily criticised for their actions. More recently, a “Not My King” protester was arrested on the day of the Coronation and held in a cell for 16 hours. Even the police are taking these offences very seriously – but is the Queen saying that in some circumstances it’s ok to break the law? That it all depends on what you’re protesting/blockading about? That hunting IS the exception?
What can we do about it?
We can write to Buckingham Palace – here’s the address:
The King and Queen Buckingham Palace London SW1A 1AA. https://www.royal.uk/contact
We can also wait and see what happens at the prosecution of Holliday in July. If he is convicted (and the footage is good), then we should all be asking why the Queen doesn’t recognise breaches of the Hunting Act as crimes – and whether she herself does not consent to the law. If he is not convicted, we should be asking if the Queen maybe had a word in the magistrate’s ear. Either way, this whole thing is not a good advert for the morality of the Queen.
