King Charles Targeted by Another Egg Thrower, Police Say
King Charles III's most recent royal outing got off to a less than egg-cellent start. As the 74-year-old British royal stepped out Tuesday for a walkabout in Luton, England, he once again found himself dodging objects when someone from the crowd allegedly threw an egg at the monarch, marking the second such incident since Charles ascended as monarch following the September death of his mother, the late Queen Elizabeth II.
The monarch was greeting members of the public outside Luton Town Hall, located about 30 miles north of London, when the incident occurred, the Associated Press reported. According to the outlet, as Charles was meeting well-wishers, an egg was thrown from the crowd towards the monarch, who was not hit or harmed in the incident. The royal's security guards promptly escorted Charles to another area. The king is said to have kept his cool and didn't crack under the pressure, instead continuing the walkabout by greeting others who gathered to see him.
The BBC reported that following the incident, Bedfordshire Police confirmed that a man in his 20s was detained and taken into custody. The man's identity has not been released. The suspect was arrested on suspicion of common assault. Buckingham Palace has not addressed the incident at this time.
The Tuesday spectacle came less than a month after another egg-throwing incident. As Charles and his wife Camilla, the Queen Consort arrived at Micklegate Bar, a royal entrance to the city of York, England on Nov. 9, several eggs were thrown at Charles from the someone in the crowd. Video of the moment showed the eggs splattering on the ground as the crowd booed, with some shouting, "Shame on you" and "God save the king." The man who through the eggs was later identified as Extinction Rebellion activist and former Green Party candidate Patrick Thelwell, 23, who was detained. While Thelwell was later released on bail, the Mirror reported, per the New York Post, that as a condition of his bail, he must stay 500 meters away from the king and isn't allowed to carry eggs in public with the exception of grocery shopping.
The two incidents come as Charles travels across Britain for royal appearances and walkabouts as the nation adjusts to life under a new monarch. The late Elizabeth passed away in September at the age of 96 after having served as monarch for 70 years, making her Britain's longest-reigning monarch. Her son immediately ascended upon her death, though his coronation is not set to take place until Saturday, May 6.