Prince Charles warns against 'rise of populism'

Britain's Prince Charles urged caution against the apparent "rise of populism" on a global scale, in a veiled swipe towards US president-elect Donald Trump and those who campaigned for Brexit.

He compared today's current political climate to that of the 1930s in Europe, referring to the "deeply disturbing dark days" of that period on BBC Radio 4's Thought For The Day.

The Prince of Wales said that he feared for minority groups in the current atmosphere, and urged people to be tolerant of other faiths and backgrounds.

"We are now seeing the rise of many populist groups across the world that are increasingly aggressive to those who adhere to a minority faith. All of this has deeply disturbing echoes of the dark days of the 1930s," he said.

Although Prince Charles did not mention Trump by name, his speech had many references which could be traced back to policies espoused by the Republican during his unexpected rise to the top of Western politics.

Many of his trade promises centred around isolationist tendencies, and he made a controversial pledge to form a registry of Muslims living in the United States.

He emphasised the "staggering" statistic from the United Nations that 65.3 million people were forced to leave their homes in 2015.

"The suffering doesn't end when they arrive seeking refuge in a foreign land," he said.