Being a royal isn’t always easy. At a recent public event in York, King Charles III and Queen Consort Camilla Parker Bowles had to duck eggs thrown at them by an anti-royal protestor.
Protester Eggs Royal Couple
The royal couple were on a two-day visit to the city, where they would unveil a statue dedicated to the late Queen Elizabeth. It is the first statue to be installed since her death in September.
King Charles and Parker Bowles were walking around York and greeting people when the first egg was thrown. It just missed the king, who looked down as it hit the ground. Parker Bowles looked concerned and started to move away, but King Charles continued the conversation he was having with a townsperson.
His personal protection officers rushed in as more eggs flew through the air, but none managed to hit the royal couple. The king and queen consort continued their walkabout and people were impressed with the calm way they managed the attempted egging.
Witness Says Protester Spoiled ‘A Lovely Moment’
The crowd cheered “God save the King” and “Hip, hip, hooray” as they walked away. Kim Oldfield, who witnessed the event, said she was “enjoying” the event when she heard “some booing and eggs flying.”
“About five eggs he’d managed to send,” she continued, referring to the protester. “I glanced across, [saw] the police just descended on the barrier and tried to drag this chap over the top.”
Oldfield continued, “Camilla sort of flinched a little bit when the booing started, but [police] quelled it really quickly. Just a shame they spoilt what was a lovely moment.” The booing was started by the protester, but the rest of the crowd quickly started cheering for the king.
Why The Protester Threw Eggs At The Royals
The protester, a 23-year-old student at the University of York, reportedly yelled “This country was built on the blood of slaves.” This sentiment is commonplace these days—many have demanded the British royal family apologize for their long history of colonization. Others have criticized Prince William and Kate Middleton for awkward photo ops on a recent trip to Caribbean nations that have been challenging British rule.
According to the BBC, the protester was arrested and held on suspicion of a public order offense and remains in police custody. He was not the only protestor. There were also people holding a banner with the message “Not My King” written on it. King Charles has been a fairly unpopular royal over the years, and this latest protest shows the growing anti-monarchy feeling in the United Kingdom.
