King Charles has urged mutual respect and understanding in the aftermath of racist riots targeting Muslims and migrants in Britain, according to a statement from Buckingham Palace on Friday.
This marks the first public intervention by the monarch since the unrest began last week.
The king expressed gratitude to police and emergency services for their efforts to restore peace and commended community groups for their response in countering "the aggression and criminality from a few," the spokesperson said.
"His Majesty hopes that shared values of mutual respect and understanding will continue to strengthen and unite the nation," the statement added, following King Charles' telephone conversations with Prime Minister Keir Starmer and police chiefs.
King Charles, who founded the Prince's Trust in the 1970s to help young people find work and create community projects, noted that the charity continues to operate in areas affected by the riots, even after his coronation.
Thousands of specially trained police officers are expected to remain on duty over the weekend to prevent any resurgence of violence after three days of relative calm.
The riots were sparked by false online claims that the suspected killer of three young girls in a knife attack on July 29 in Southport, northwest England, was an Islamist migrant.
The government is now considering stricter regulations for social media companies to prevent the spread of such misinformation.
Following days of rioting that targeted Muslims and hotels housing migrants, Prime Minister Starmer credited increased police presence and swift justice with deterring what he referred to as "far-right thugs."
Anti-racist demonstrators have far outnumbered anti-immigrant protesters in several locations for three consecutive days.
"I work with people from different backgrounds, and they have only been kind to me—we are all equals," said Emilia Finch, 22, outside a hotel in Crawley, southern England, where asylum seekers are being housed. "There is no reason why anyone should be treated differently because of their skin color."
Starmer emphasized that "significant sentences" issued quickly by the courts have been effective in curbing further disorder. "That is a crucial part of the message to anyone considering getting involved in further unrest," he told reporters during a visit to a police command center in London.
As of Friday evening, 741 arrests had been made since the riots began, and 302 people had been charged. Two individuals received prison sentences for inciting racial hatred on social media. Police have indicated that arrests will continue for months.
The National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC) announced that more than 6,000 public order-trained officers will be on duty over the weekend.
"This is probably one of the strongest national policing responses we've ever implemented, certainly in my career," said Gavin Stephens, chairman of the NPCC.
While police are uncertain about how many, if any, anti-migrant demonstrations might occur, around 40 counterprotests are scheduled for Saturday, organized by the group Stand Up to Racism. Photo by Northern Ireland Office, Wikimedia commons.
