A British woman who was sacked after a Facebook rant decrying Prince George as an example of "white privilege" is seeking compensation from her former employer.
Angela Gibbins lost her job at the British Council—which promotes British culture overseas and has the Queen as its patron—after a newspaper reported Facebook comments she had made in 2016 about the young Prince, who is the son of Prince William, the Queen's grandson.
"White privilege. That cheeky grin is the (already locked-in) innate knowledge that he's Royal, rich, advantaged and will never know any difficulties or hardships in life," Gibbins wrote in a debate with social media friends last year, "Let's find photos of 3yo [sic] Syrian refugee children and see if they look alike, eh?"
She also wrote: "I'm sound in my socialist, atheist and republican opinions. I don't believe the Royal Family have any place in a modern democracy, least of all when they live on public money. That's privilege and it needs to end."
Now, The Times reported, Gibbins is seeking compensation, damages, and a new job with the organization or the return of her old role. She contests that she was sacked over her political beliefs.
Gibbins told a central London employment tribunal her views on the monarchy were well known at the British Council: "I had always been open and honest about these if asked. I can remember being variously bated as 'the red under the bed' or 'the quiet Corbynista' in meetings with senior colleagues, many of whom often made disparaging jokes about my left-wing views," she said.
Defending her actions, Gibbins told the tribunal: "I have also been very clear that none of the comments I made were abusive or used any kind of foul language.
"We were actually talking about how all children should have the same rights, no privileges, no matter what their background."
But Rebecca Walton, the British Council's EU regional director, said: "I believe there is a recklessness that comes into play when you choose to comment under a picture of a three-year-old child about that three-year-old child."
The case continues.
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