King Charles: Debate too often descends into ‘rancour and acrimony’ on social media

King Charles has issued a passionate plea for “understanding” in an address at Mansion House, as he warned against the dangers of heated online debate.

In the address, which was delivered to the lord mayor of London and the City of London Corporation on Wednesday (18 October), the monarch urged the country to resist the “temptation” of turning ourselves into a “shouty” society.

The King, who wore a suit adorned with various honours and medals, told dignitaries from the city that he believes the country stands at a “watershed” moment in which people either come together or risk giving way to bitter online debate on social media.

“There is in our land a kind of muscle memory that it does not have to be like this,” the King told dignitaries. “That the temptation to turn ourselves into a shouty, recriminating society must be resisted, or at least heavily mitigated whenever possible. Especially in the digital sphere where civilised debate too often gives way to rancour and acrimony.”

Hinting at the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, the King asked Britain to draw from its “deep wells” of shared values as he called for “understanding both at home and overseas”.  He said it has “never [been] more vital than at times of international turmoil and heartbreaking loss of life”.

He added: “Our willingness to put others first and treat them as we would wish them to treat us. To listen to their views and, if we do not agree, to remind ourselves to engage in a way which is passionate, but not pugnacious. This includes the practice of our religious faiths, in freedom and mutual understanding.”

The King added that above all, “genuine togetherness that will see us through good times and bad”.

Charles also emphasised the importance of maintaining a sense of humour during bad times, poking fun at himself as he referenced a video that went viral in the first days of his reign last year.

In the video, the new King said, “I can’t bear this bloody thing,” and grew visibly frustrated with a leaky fountain pen he was using to sign documents.

He said: “Our ability to laugh at ourselves is one of our great national characteristics. Just as well, you may say, given some of the vicissitudes I have faced with frustratingly failing fountain pens this past year!”

A large portion of the speech was spent warning the audience about the threat of climate change, a cause that Charles campaigned on during his time as the Prince of Wales.

The King said: “After decades of debate, our television screens – or, increasingly, mobile phone screens – confront us each day with the stark realities of climate change.

“But are devastating scenes of communities scarred by fire and flood – not to mention the migration of people fleeing those terrifying phenomena – enough to persuade us to take the action that is needed – to make the sacrifices needed to secure our planet for generations yet unborn?”

“I believe so. Because at such a juncture in our national life, there are special strengths which we can summon to help us — deep wells on which we can draw, filled not just with our shared histories and experiences, but with literally countless individual stories too; a mix of memories past and ambitions future, to help give ourselves a sense of perspective.”