Police arrested a man on Wednesday after he threw eggs at King Charles III and his wife, Camilla, the Queen Consort, as they were visiting the city of York.
Several law enforcement officers were seen restraining the man behind a crowded temporary fence set up at the Micklegate Bar to provide a path for the royal couple’s visit to the city.
The 23-year-old suspect hurled about five eggs at the King and Queen Consort, all of which missed the couple. The crowd heard him shouting that the country was built on slavery and the blood of enslaved people as the police quickly detained him.
After his outburst, people in the crowd swiftly jumped to the defense of the King and started shouting “God save the King” and others chanted “shame on you” to the young man.
The man, still in custody, is a student at the University of York and is being held on a public order-related offense.
The incident occurred on the second day of the King and Queen Consort’s official visit to Yorkshire, as they were using the Micklegate Bar to enter the city of York. At this traditional gateway, monarchs are welcomed into the city.
The University of York said it was shocked by the incident and would review the young man’s behavior.
The couple was being welcomed by city leaders when the suspect hurled eggs at them. Charles continued to shake hands with the leaders and dignitaries, seemingly unaffected by the commotion. He only paused briefly in the middle of shaking hands and looked at the cracked eggshells on the ground before he and the Queen Consort were whisked away by security personnel.
One of the witnesses was Kim Oldfield, who owns a business on the street where the incident happened. She told reporters that she was standing in her shop’s doorway enjoying the royal couple’s arrival when she heard people booing and saw eggs flying.
King Charles III and Camilla had traveled to York as part of their royal engagements around the United Kingdom, which would mark the beginning of the reign of the new King. They went to York Minister, the city’s cathedral, and attended a service to reveal a statue of the late Queen Elizabeth II, who died earlier this year in September after a 70-year reign on the throne.
The statue, made from Lepine limestone, is two meters and weighs 1.1 tons. It was designed to celebrate Queen Elizabeth II’s platinum jubilee and was completed just a month before she died.
The King spoke during the ceremony, saying that his late mother was always vigilant about her people’s welfare and would continue to watch over them for centuries through the statue.
King Charles III has tried to be a very accessible figure since his mother’s death. During his walkabouts, he is often seen shaking hands and swapping jokes with people in the crowds of well-wishers. However, these events can prove hard to control as there is minimal separation between the King and the vast crowds of people excited to meet him.
