King Charles did not give an Extinction Rebellion activist, identified as Patrick Thelwell, the satisfaction of a reaction on Wednesday, completely ignoring the eggs that sailed past him and Queen Consort Camilla Parker-Bowles during their visit to York.
Thelwell, a former Green Party candidate, was detained by police after he allegedly launched several eggs at the royals near Micklegate Bar, the traditional royal entrance to the city. The king appeared not to even acknowledge the commotion as the events were unfolding.
Instead, after briefly looking down to see what had happened, he simply stepped over the cracked eggs — which landed on the pavement near his feet — and continued to greet onlookers.
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The protester was restrained as crowds gathered at Micklegate Bar, the traditional royal entrance into the city, to greet the couple.https://t.co/JQm8iHFUWQ
— BBC Yorkshire (@BBCLookNorth) November 9, 2022
Thelwell reportedly shouted at the royals as he threw the eggs, saying, “This country was built on the blood of slaves.” Several police officers tackled the man to the ground, detaining him behind the temporary fencing that lined the street ahead of the royals’ visit.
Police empty contents (left) from the pockets of a protester, which includes an unthrown egg, as they detain him for throwing eggs at King Charles III and the Queen Consort. (Photo by Jacob King/PA Images via Getty Images)
The crowd appeared to side with Charles, however, breaking into a chant of “God save the king” as he continued to engage with the people.
King Charles and his Queen Consort were visiting York to celebrate the unveiling of a statue of his late mother, Queen Elizabeth II, who passed away in early September at the age of 96. The statue was actually completed about one month prior to her death.
“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 king said of the statue.
Wednesday was not the first time that Charles remained calm in the face of a possible attack. During a 1994 Australia Day celebration in Sydney, a young man reportedly fired two blank shots and then charged toward then-Prince Charles just as he was stepping toward the center of the stage to speak.
Nearly a dozen men — the premier of New South Wales among them — rushed to tackle the shooter, quickly taking him to the ground and detaining him. Throughout the chaos and confusion, Charles watched the situation play out — from just a few feet away — calmly adjusting his cufflinks.
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