Royal commentator Anita Atkinson has elicited a wave of criticism online over certain remarks she made during her recent interview on BBC Radio 5 Live’s Breakfast.
The interview, hosted by journalist Rachel Burden, touched the subject of Queen Elizabeth II health and “mobility issues”, as MailOnline put it, with Burden inquiring whether people in the UK mights have to get used to seeing Her Majesty “with a bit of assistance, whether that might be a stick or a wheelchair or a buggy?”
“I don't think we're ever, ever going to see the Queen in a wheelchair. We've already seen her with a walking stick, we've never seen her use it,” Atkinson said. “Having studied the monarchy for over 40 years, the Crown has to be seen to be fit and well and capable - just functional. That's what the Queen is desperate to show.”
Her remarks, however, apparently were not appreciated by quite a few social media users, one of whom inquired if people can “stop this idea that using a wheelchair is giving in or so awful that we couldn't possibly see a 95 year old use one if she needed.”
“So the queen doesn’t want to be seen in a wheelchair even tho she has mobility issues but she doesn’t mind being seen with Prince Andrew,” tweeted another.
“To suggest that the Queen using a wheelchair would be undignified is a gross insult to wheelchair users. Especially so given the assistance she did use,” yet another netizen mused.
And one social media user even observed that “mobility aids and monarchy have coincided before with no trouble”, and provided an example in the form of an image from St Mary's church in Hook, featuring a depiction of Queen Victoria in a wheelchair.