Nov. 9 (UPI) — A protester has been arrested for allegedly throwing eggs at King Charles III and the queen consort during a royal visit in York. North Yorkshire Police said a 23-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of public offense and remains in custody.
The protester allegedly yelled “this country was built on the blood of slaves” as the eggs were tossed, missing both royals.
“A 23-year-old man was arrested on a suspicion of a public order offense following an incident on Micklegate in York. He currently remains in police custody,” the North Yorkshire Police said in a statement.
Police did not identify the man.
A video of the incident shows the eggs missing as the crowd began booing and shouting “God save the King.” Police grabbed the man.
King Charles remained unfazed and continued shaking hands with the public. He was in York for a traditional ceremony officially welcoming the king to the city.
According to the BBC, a witness to the egg tossing, Kim Oldfield, said Camilla flinched a little bit when the booing started but the police quelled the incident really quickly.
The role of Britain and the royal family in the slave trade has been raised in some of the nations where King Charles III remains head of state, with some calls for reparations. During a Caribbean tour earlier this year by Prince William and his wife, Catherine, activists there called for the reparations and for the monarchy to apologize for slavery.
Queen Elizabeth II was the target of eggs thrown in Auckland, New Zealand, as she visited in 1986. Two young women masquerading as crowd-control officers hurled what was described then as a “barrage of eggs” at the queen, splattering her coat.
