Robert Smith, the frontman of The Cure, has shared an anti-monarchy cartoon.
The artist shared the satirical piece, which was written and drawn by artist First Dog on the Moon, hours before the coronation of King Charles III.
Charles was ceremonially crowned as monarch on Saturday (6 May) in an event that dominated the UK’s news cycle.
Smith, who has been an outspoken critic of the monarchy in the past, shared the cartoon on Twitter.
The image features a character saying: “All hail the nature arbitrary of privilege that’s hereditary. The huge cost of this ceremony could buy each British child a pony. Yet distracting profligacy must calm the masses all, lest we the fury of the poor unleash.
“Let them eat Coronation Quiche!” the cartoon ends, echoing the infamous words of overthrown French monarch Marie Antoinette.
In 2012, Smith rejected the idea of receiving a knighthood from the Queen, remarking in an interview: “I would honestly cut off my own hands before I would go there, because how dare they presume that they could give me an honor? I’m much better than them. They’ve never done anything! They’re f***ing idiots.”
Smith isn’t the only celebrity to have voiced dissent amid the waves of pro-monarchy celebration.
Speaking on a podcast this week, comedian Russell Brand described the British public as “bloody stupid” for “putting up with” the coronation.
Speaking on his podcast Stay Free with Russell Brand, the comedian said: “The whole of censorship is underwritten by the idea that we’re too bloody stupid to understand anything. And perhaps to a degree, we are. Because we’re willing to put up with expensive ceremonies to anoint further royalty.
“Let’s face it, the death of Queen Elizabeth II meant that this is [the] time for a radical appraisal and review of whether or not we even need a monarchy. And the answer to that is no, we don’t. Because what even is a monarchy?”
Over the weekend, the Met Police has also faced condemnation for an alleged “totalitarian crackdown” on protesters, and was heavily criticised for arresting late-night women’s safety volunteers ahead of the coronation.
