But they don't get involved in politics, not at all....

Gordon Brown has never made any secret of his wish for Scotland to remain part of the UK, so I’m not surprised by this.

No, indeed he hasn't, and I think everybody knows that.

So why is the second in line to the throne having meetings with an ex-politician whose main ideas at the moment concern staying in the Union?

I wonder if William had a chat with Salmond as well?

You make it sound as though they were conspiring with somebody of one particular political aspect, Alegrias but they have been scrupulous in being in contact with leaders of the three leading parties.

There were also meetings with other politicians, of various parties. As well as George Brown, "The duke had talks with First Minister Nicola Sturgeon at the weekend and also met Alistair Carmichael, Liberal Democrat MP for Orkney and Shetland, when the royal couple - known as the Earl and Countess of Strathearn when in Scotland - opened Orkney's hospital."

If William should take over from Charles at short notice (always on the cards with older parents!) he will need familiarity with all the political leaders he will encounter at the regular debriefings held with the monarch. The head of state may be above party allegiance, but needs to be aware of what the parties stand for. Would you prefer it if he were completely ignorant of the different views and policies? Or of the personalities involved?

Brown isn't a political leader, he's an ex-politician with a very clear agenda on independence.

Have they met with Sarwar? Or Patrick Harvey? Or even Douglas Ross?

Clue: No

Neither he nor any Unionist can do right for doing wrong, in your eyes, Alegrias.

I'm sorry I'm hogging this thread but I'll answer.

If any former PM with very strong views on independence - pro or anti - is meeting with the future monarch in private, he is clearly doing so with a view to furthering his political views. If they had met Salmond I'd think that was a bit off too. If they'd met Tony Blair I'd wonder what that was about.

Sweeping statements about how Unionists can't do right for doing wrong are just cheapening the debate, IMO. Is there any way we can have any debate at all without recourse to each others personalities? The facts ma'am, just the facts.

If any former PM with very strong views on independence - pro or anti - is meeting with the future monarch in private, he is clearly doing so with a view to furthering his political views.

It is sure rather a possibility than a given and certainly not "clear". He has a great deal of interest in other, mainly charitable areas. They may have talked about politics but you cannot know and my prejudice is the reverse of yours. You think they will have done and I think they wont. In fact, neither of us, nor anyone else on here, know.

The current UK government is in favour of retaining the Union. Also currently Scotland is still part of the UK.

Members of the Royal Family have, to all intents and purposes, to do what the UK government says. I don't suppose W and K arrange such tours off their own bat. They will have arrangements made for them by the UK government.

This is essentially no more 'biased' than looking at the issue of the Union from a Scottish Nationalist point of view which, had they the power to tell the RF what to do and who to see, they no doubt would.

And yes, of course it's political. What else would it be`?

The facts are that people with several different viewpoints have had contact with a future head of state - who at the moment has no power of any sort to further any of their policies.

As Baggs has pointed out, his itinerary and his meetings will no doubt have been arranged by others. The meetings were not secret (if they had been we would still be unaware of them) If they had not been private meetings, but official ones, there would be uproar that someone only second in line to the throne, not even the heir apparent, was indulging in political "negotiations" and if there had also been meetings with everyone who felt he/she had a right to be consulted (or whom Alegrias thought had a right ) the couple would have been busy from morning to night and had no time to enjoy a no-doubt nostalgic visit to Scotland.

I managed to stay off for an hour...

Of course the meetings will have been set up by others. That's the point, the establishment felt it was appropriate for the second in line to the throne to meet with someone who has just started appearing on the public stage again, talking mainly about his support for unionism. That sends a message, and trying to pretend its just co-incidental is not credible. I'm sure that they did talk about his and his wife's Foundation as well.

And the couple were busy from morning to night - they spent about half a day in StA, I'm sure it was lovely for them. I also loved the meeting between Kate and the little girl who had cancer, it was fabulous.

Please don't try to suggest that I think some have a right to talk to W&K and others don't, that's just trivialising the whole discussion.

Ultimately the voting public will make their own minds up though, and the unionists are bound to mount as strong a campaign as they are able to do?
Gordon Brown is presumably an asset to the unionist cause, so if the royals met him as the most senior Labour politician in Scotland as well as the leaders of the other two main political parties then I’m not sure you can say it wasn’t even handed with any real justification, although I do understand it’s frustrating if you want Scottish independence to see the unionists getting something of an act together.

so if the royals met him as the most senior Labour politician in Scotland

Sorry, sorry, here I am again.....

He's not the most senior Labour politician in Scotland. The most senior Labour politician in Scotland is Anas Sarwar. Brown is a former PM, no longer in an elected role.

They met Sturgeon who is the current First Minister. You'd expect them to meet whoever is in charge of the country. They haven't met Ross who is the leader of the Tories in Scotland, nor Harvie who is the co-leader of the Greens, nor Rennie, who is the leader of the Lib Dems. Or if they have, its not in the Court Circular, which would make it even worse

I've got a lot of time for Brown, I think he is a man of integrity. But is it only me who thinks that there is something to be concerned about in a Royal figure who will have soft power in any future independence debate, meeting privately with a public figure who is pushing hard on an agenda on one side of the political divide?

Alegrias1

I managed to stay off for an hour...

Of course the meetings will have been set up by others. That's the point, the establishment felt it was appropriate for the second in line to the throne to meet with someone who has just started appearing on the public stage again, talking mainly about his support for unionism. That sends a message, and trying to pretend its just co-incidental is not credible. I'm sure that they did talk about his and his wife's Foundation as well.

And the couple were busy from morning to night - they spent about half a day in StA, I'm sure it was lovely for them. I also loved the meeting between Kate and the little girl who had cancer, it was fabulous.

Please don't try to suggest that I think some have a right to talk to W&K and others don't, that's just trivialising the whole discussion.

For someone who seems to want discussions such as this backed by facts I really can't see where yours are. None of us knows what they talked about and I really can't see the point of getting your knickers in a twist over it.

As others have said they will need to talk to a variety of people in the countries over which the Queen is Head of State. If they come out and tell people which way to vote I'm with you but until that point, this is a lot of hot or rather heated air.

You are totally entitled to your opinion but I do not feel any facts have been offered to make others change theirs.

He’s the Labour politician with the highest status in Scotland though as an ex PM isn’t he, the Labour leader is quite new to the role?
The fact that they met him with no attempt to keep it secret, which they could easily have done, does make me doubt that there’s any kind of dark dealings going on, and I agree that he is a man of integrity so I think he would be unlikely to support any underhand politics led by a Westminster Tory Government, but of course I’m looking at it from the outside.

I'm certainly not accusing Brown of supporting underhand politics led by the Tory government. People from many political parties support unionism.

Media outlets as far apart as the Express and the National think it was a "sensitive" meeting. Channel 4 were accused of trespassing for trying to film Brown arriving in Holyrood Palace, while they were on a public road.

For a family that are meant not to be involved in politics, to meet a person who's main claim to fame in Scotland at the moment is his support of the Union, and not to publicise it or announce it until after the event, will cause questions. At the very least, its politically naïve. At worst....its questionable.

I really am surprised that nobody else would be concerned about this.

Would they have met him at Holyrood though if it was that sensitive? I’m on the fence I must admit.

Apologies if I'm telling you something you already know Casdon. Holyrood is the Queen's official residence in Edinburgh, it's across the road from the Holyrood Parliament. They met in the Palace, which is behind lots of security gates etc.

It wasn't publicised in advance and Channel 4 were "discouraged" from filming it. I don't think it is blatant politicking, but if they were just talking about the Brown's charitable activities, wouldn't they have wanted to publicise that?

Yes, I knew it was the palace, and guess the security arrangements would be the same regardless of who the visitor was. It would be the obvious convenient venue for them to meet somebody who wasn’t in public office if they wanted to do it in plain sight. We will probably never know what was discussed.

I wonder if they met anybody else there?

I think they had lots of meetings there Casdon. The one I mentioned above, with the little girl who had cancer, was really just lovely. The little girl was so happy.

Anyway, I'll be watching Ch4 news tonight to see what they say.

I will too now, you’ve got me interested to find out what’s going on!

At the moment - storm in a teacup.

www.channel4.com/news/revealed-duke-of-cambridges-unpublicised-meeting-with-gordon-brown

I must have missed it last night!

Revolting-Subject
@UnRoyalReporter

The royal family, once again, interfering with democracy, abusing their position

Krishnan Guru-Murthy
@krishgm

Tonight : Gordon Brown, who's just launched a campaign to save the Union, just had unpublicised meeting with Prince William. Only politician save @NicolaSturgeon met on Royal visit to Scotland. So sensitive #C4News prevented from airing footage shot from outside palace gates!

Krishnan Guru-Murthy
@krishgm

Kensington Palace have said we were stopped from airing the footage we filmed of Mr Brown in the grounds of Holyrood Palace - not because of sensitivities - but because they claim #C4News was trespassing. Our team were in public place outside gates.

Revolting-Subject
@UnRoyalReporter
This is the 2nd time this month the royal family have demanded that something isn’t broadcast.
Stick it up ones arse

Revolting-Subject
@UnRoyalReporter

Can I just point out...that the #RoyalVisitScotland has been met with resounding indifference. Note, there’s no photos of big crowds.

Are big crowds allowed in Scotland ?