Irish Transport ministry dismisses questions about Dublin Airport tweet 'mocking' Princess of Wales

TUV say Dublin Airport has “serious questions to answer” over the post, which was put online days before Princess Catherine announced she was being treated for cancer.

The post, which is still online, has been viewed over nine million times. It was posted on 19th March – just three days before Kate announced that she is receiving preventative chemotherapy. Cancer was discovered after the Princess underwent abdominal surgery in January.

She had requested privacy while recovering from the operation, but there had been frenzied online speculation and conspiracy theories about her absence from public life in recent months.

The post by Dublin Airport on X, formerly Twitter, contained a screengrab from a video of the royal couple seen out shopping the previous weekend, superimposed onto an image of Dublin Airport. It said: “Great to see passengers looking so happy and relaxed this morning”.

TUV vice chairman and Causeway Coast and Glens councillor Allister Kyle has written to the state-owned Irish company to protest at “their decision to mock Her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales who is currently recovering from cancer”.

The News Letter asked the Irish transport minister Eamon Ryan, through his department, if he believed the post was appropriate after the couple had appealed for privacy and amid frenzied online speculation about the Princess's health. Mr Ryan was also asked for his view on whether it should be deleted, given the political and diplomatic significance.

The Department of Transport said “daa has statutory responsibility for the management, operation, and development of Dublin Airport”.

TUV man Allister Kyle also said: “We have all been profoundly moved by the Princess’s bravery in going public about something which is deeply personal and something which she and her family need to deal with away from the glare of the media.

“To say, therefore, that it is in poor taste for the official X (formally Twitter) account of Dublin Airport to still be displaying a tweet mocking the Princess and her husband is an understatement.

“Dublin Airport have come in for considerable criticism on X for their post and have disabled replies to that particular post. Disgracefully, however, it has been left up.

“Many people in Northern Ireland will draw their own conclusions about what this says about the deeply embedded anti-Britishness in the Republic.

“It is time for Dublin Airport to remove this disgusting post, explain how it ever appeared, what action will be taken against those responsible and apologise to their Royal Highnesses the Prince and Princess of Wales.”

Dublin Airport has also been contacted for comment.