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A 23-year-old man has been detained after he threw an egg in an attempt to hit King Charles during the monarch's walkabout in York, accompanied by Camilla, the Queen consort.
The King and Queen consort were ushered away as police detained the man and escorted him to a police van. Videos and images of the egg being thrown have flooded the internet, sparking a conversation, particularly on King Charles' demeanor. Netizens lauded the monarch for "keeping his calm and looking completely unfazed" by the object being thrown at him.
Who threw eggs at King Charles?
The perpetrator is identified as 23-year-old Patrick Thelwell, a student at the University of York. He threw at least four eggs at the King and Queen consort from within 500 meters of distance from them.
Thelwell is a former Green party candidate for York City Council and is currently an Extinction Rebellion activist. He studied politics and international relations and boasted of his long-time involvement in left-wing politics.
In 2015, he campaigned to remove Tory MP Esther McVey from her seat on Merseyside because her views on benefits opposed his views and that of his cohorts.
Thelwell was part of the protestors who were booing at the King and Queen consort while others present at the scene were chanting "God save the King!" As Thelwell was being detained by law enforcement, he yelled:
"This country was built on the blood of slaves."
Thelwell regularly blogs about climate change and is studying to get his Ph.D. in interdisciplinary global development. He also has a keen interest in gardening, even operating a gardening business under his name.
Netizens react to an egg being thrown at King
The Twitterverse came alive after King Charles was almost egged on during his walkabout in York with Queen Consort, Camilla. A protestor, identified as a climate activist, tried to attack the king by throwing three eggs at him, but all of them missed their intended target.
The king, however, continued to shake hands with the dignitaries present at the scene, only pausing briefly to look at the cracked shells on the ground. Lip reading expert, Jeremy Freeman, revealed that the king merely asked to continue on with their business. Freeman, while speaking to The Mirror, said:
"It's fine, lets carry on."
Users took to the internet to applaud their king for his nonchalant attitude towards a potentially harmful moment, at the same time admonishing the man who did it.
North Yorkshire Police have confirmed that Patrick Thelwell is being detained and questioned on suspicion of a public order offense.
King Charles and Queen consort were in York participating in an age-old traditional ceremony in which the sovereign is officially welcomed to York by the Lord Mayor through the gates of the city, in this case, the historic Micklegate Bar.
