Following the launch of the Big Help Out initiative, campaigners have called on charities to stop promoting the 'corrupt' monarchy.

Campaign group Republic has questioned why charities are aligning themselves with an institution that represents inequality, corruption and greed.

Speaking for the campaign, Graham Smith said today:

"We welcome the push to get more people into volunteering. Yet millions of people already volunteer regularly and not because of the royal family. It is an appalling message, to suggest a celebration of hereditary privilege and power should be a motivation to help others."

"Charities need to drop their associations with the royals. Monarchy represents self-entitlement, inequality and corruption. These charities are being exploited by the royals desperate to sugar-coat their image."

"Charles has not led a "life of service" and the royals do very few engagements and no actual work for charities. Instead the royals abuse public money, use their privilege to demand exemptions from laws and refuse to be accountable for their actions."

"We know from the 2020 Giving Evidence report that royal patronage makes no difference to charitable giving. It's time charities woke up to the fact they're being used as a prop in the royal PR machine."

In 2020 the organisation Giving Evidence produced an independent report which found royal patronage made no discernible difference to UK charities. The report is here: https://giving-evidence.com/2020/07/16/royal-findings/