Several eggs were seen in motion but, none seemed to strike the royal couple as they continued to wave to onlookers in York, northern England.
King Charles III and Camilla, the Queen-consort, were walking in York, a city in northern England, when a protester hurled eggs and insults at them. The King and his Queen entered York through Micklegate Bar, a historic entryway used to welcome visiting Kings and Queens. Several eggs were seen moving and smashing on the ground in video footage. The royal couple continued to wave to the onlookers, as none seemed to hit them. The accused, a Yorkshire student, was then seen being wrestled by several police officers near a crowd barrier. He reportedly booed and said, "This country was built on the blood of slaves," and “not my king”, as he was being apprehended, according to The Guardian.
Suzie Mercer, the sheriff of York, who was a member of the delegation of government representatives receiving the monarch, appeared to repel one of the eggs. Other members of the crowd tried to drown him out by chanting “Shame on you” and “God Save the King.” As part of a tour of engagements across the United Kingdom to celebrate the coronation of the new monarch, Charles and Camilla made their way to York. They then went to York Minster, the city's cathedral, to unveil a statue of the king's mother, Queen Elizabeth II, who ruled for 70 years until passing away in September.
Man Throws Egg At King Charles, Queen Camilla; Detained https://t.co/xUOjFCxkkX pic.twitter.com/5ZPNP2hBUM
— NDTV News feed (@ndtvfeed) November 9, 2022
Speaking at the ceremony at York Minster, Charles said, “The late Queen was always vigilant for the welfare of her people during her life. Now her image will watch over what will become Queen Elizabeth Square for centuries to come.” The 2-meter sculpture, which was finished in August—a month before the late Queen passed away—was built of French Lepine limestone and weighs 1.1 tonnes. It was created to honor the late Queen's platinum jubilee.
The man, a student at the University of York, is still being held with public order offense, the BBC reported. The event happened on the second day of the King and Queen Consort's formal tour to Yorkshire, which included a trip to Doncaster. The photographs "appalled" the institution, which declared that it would evaluate the matter per its misconduct policies.
Witness Blossom Street Gallery owner Kim Oldfield claimed she was "enjoying" the couple's arrival while standing at the shop's doorway when she heard "some booing and eggs flying." "I glanced across, [saw] the police just descended on the barrier and tried to drag this chap over the top. "About five eggs he'd managed to send. "Camilla sort of flinched a little bit when the booing started but they [police] quelled it quickly. Just a shame they spoilt what was a lovely moment."
While the royal couple resumed their tour, the guy was knocked to the ground by police officers and placed in the back of a waiting police van. A lip reader, Jeremy Freeman told The Mirror, who examined the video concluded that the King personified the British maxim "keep calm and carry on." After the eggs fly past the royal, the king allegedly proceeds to shake hands with a woman and remarks indifferently, "Pleased to meet you," per Mr. Freeman.
As the throng booed the demonstrator, the King allegedly turned to a woman wearing a military uniform and said, "It's fine, let's carry on." A little while later, the King asked his protection officer, "Everything alright?" The officer reportedly said, "He's been taken care of," according to Mr. Freeman. As two police officers dragged the demonstrator away to a vehicle, his wrists and legs were shackled.
References:
https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/royals/king-charles-brave-remarks-after-28450086
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-york-north-yorkshire-63569908
Cover Image Source: Getty Images | WPA Pool / Pool
