ANTI-MONARCHY campaigners have staged a protest inside Buckingham Palace. 

Just after midday on Saturday members of Republic - a campaign group calling for the UK to get rid of the monarchy and replace the royal family with an elected head of state - staged a protest inside the Grand Hall of Buckingham Palace.

Activists from different parts of the UK visited the palace as tourists, before unveiling t-shirts which spelled out "Not My King".

Six of the activists involved were briefly detained by security, before being escorted out of the front gate.

The protest is the latest in a series of actions aimed at pushing forward the debate about the future of the monarchy.

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Speaking for Republic, Graham Smith said today: "This is a first, an anti-monarchy protest inside Buckingham Palace. A fantastic statement of intent, citizens standing up in the home of the monarchy to declare their opposition to hereditary power.

"Charles is not an untouchable monarch, he is not immune to criticism and doesn't enjoy the deference that protected the monarchy while his mother was on the throne.

"Charles is not a unifying figure, he is a hypocrite on the environment, he has questions to answer about cash for honours and dodgy donations from Qataris and he is out of touch the concerns of ordinary people struggling with the cost of living crisis.

"I'm proud of our local activists who came together today to take this stand. Our local campaigns are expanding rapidly, with more than thirty now active around the UK.

"Republic will continue to protest against the monarchy up and down the country, with the next protest set for the state opening of parliament on November 7."