Why was an egg thrown at King Charles? 21-year-old man pleads guilty to attack

21-year-old Harry Spartacus May admitted to throwing an egg at King Charles III during his walkabout while visiting Luton on December 6, 2022. A walkabout is an informal walk taken by a king, queen, or an important person at a public place to meet people.

While pleading guilty, May reasoned that it was in "bad taste" for a monarch to visit a "poor and deprived area."

Harry May (Image via Getty Images)

On Friday, January 13, 2023, the 21-year-old pleaded guilty to a Section 5 public order at Westminster Magistrates' Court. According to prosecutor Jason Seetal, May was apprehended by police officers after they saw him throw the projectile.

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King Charles III was unperturbed after the incident and continued greeting people

The King was in Luton to take a ride on the new cable-drawn DART passenger transit system. He was also scheduled to see the town hall and the newly built Guru Nanak Gurdwara.

King Charles visiting the DART transit system in Luton (Image via Getty Images)

King Charles III was visiting the Town Hall at the time of the incident and was outside the premises surrounded by a mass of people wanting to briefly converse with him.

May hurled the egg in the monarch's general direction and it landed on the ground near the king, who was temporarily ushered away by his security detail immediately after.

According to court transcripts, the 21-year-old did not intend for the egg to hit Charles. The monarch was unfazed by the incident and greeted people at a different location soon after.

The monarch outside Luton town hall (Image via Getty Images)

As per Sunday World, Seetal stated that when the police inquired about Harry's reasoning behind the attempt, he told them "he did this because he believed the King visiting a town like Luton, which is a deprived and poor area, was in bad taste and he wanted to make a point of this."

Seetal added that the officers found a soup can in Harry's jacket containing another egg that he intended to throw at King Charles.

Harry's lawyer, Alex Benn, told the court that his client "deeply regrets" his actions, before adding:

"He cares deeply about his local community, especially the poverty that exists in certain areas of Luton."

Chief Magistrate Paul Goldspring condemned his actions but stated that he accepted that May was not trying to hit the King. However, he added that having a second egg on him implied that he intended to hurl another one in his direction. The 21-year-old was fined £100 and ordered to pay £85 in costs.

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This is not the first time someone has thrown eggs at members of British royalty. Just a month before the Luton incident, several eggs were thrown at King Charles III and Queen Consort, Camilla, during a walkabout at the Micklegate Bar in York.

The royal pair was visiting Yorkshire to unveil a statue of the monarch's mother, the late Queen Elizabeth II. The incident occurred on November 9, 2022, as they were welcomed by the city's leaders.

Four police officers apprehended a 23-year-old man who was heard yelling:

"This country was built on the blood of slaves"

He was caught hurling eggs, none of which hit the monarch and the Queen Consort.