King Charles III and Queen Consort Camilla Parker-Bowles were almost hit when a protester threw eggs at them during an official royal visit to York.
The royal couple was on a walkabout through Micklegate Bar when a protester yelled out “this country was built on the blood of slaves,” and began throwing several eggs. The protestor, a 23-year-old student at the University of York, was arrested on the scene and remains in custody.
Video footage of the incident shows the eggs whizzing by the King’s face and shoulder as he maintains his composure. The footage shows the eggs broken on the ground near his feet. It appears that both King Charles and Camilla remained unperturbed by the disruption.
In the aftermath, the crowd started chanting “God save the King” while police restrained the protester on the ground. The King and Queen Consort calmly continued their walk accompanied by dignitaries as the police took the man away.
One witness told BBC that Camilla “flinched a little bit,” but that police handled the scene quickly.
“Just a shame they spoiled what was a lovely moment,” the onlooker said.
Following the incident, the Archbishop of York said the royal couple would continue to go about their visit as planned.
“Those in public life are in positions of vulnerability at times,” he said, mentioning that they went on to chat with people throughout the day. “I don’t think they’ve let it affect them.”
The royals are on the second day of their visit to York to unveil a statue of the late Queen Elizabeth II at York Minster. The six-foot-seven-inch statue was completed shortly before the Queen’s death.
