King Charles ignores protestors holding ‘Not My King’ placards during latest royal outing

Despite jeers from the crowd gathered outside of King Charles III’s most recent engagement, he maintained his composure and continued.

The King, 74, visited Milton Keynes on Thursday to mark the city’s promotion to that status as part of Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee. Protesters held up yellow signs that said “Not My King” as he approached the Church of Christ the Cornerstone.

Twenty protesters, according to Daily Express Royals correspondent Richard Palmer’s tweet, were present. The anti-monarchy group Republic, which intends to demonstrate against King Charles’ coronation on May 6, organised the effort.

The King appeared to ignore the protestors and seemed to be in good spirits as he shook hands with people who came out to see him, some waving Union Jack flags. As seen in a video shared on Twitter by Heart News East, a chorus of “God Save the King” rang out in a show of support.

In December, King Charles kept his cool during a walkabout in Luton when an egg was allegedly thrown in his direction. He was greeting well-wishers gathered outside Luton Town Hall when an egg flew towards where he stood, the Associated Press reported. According to the outlet, protection officers redirected the royal to another point, where he continued shaking hands with the people who came out to see him. Bedfordshire Police said that a man in his 20s was detained and taken into custody, the BBC reported.

Similarly, in early November, the King and Queen Camilla were on a walkabout in York when someone in the crowd threw eggs in their direction, the projectiles landing just inches away. King Charles and Queen Camilla, both 75, were out at Micklegate Bar, a historic gateway in the northern English city where the monarch traditionally enters, when the food was thrown. A protester — who reportedly called out, “This country was built on the blood of slaves” — was detained by four police officers, according to the Northern Echo.

Charles followed in his late mother’s footsteps at the Church of Christ the Cornerstone. The hub was the first ecumenical city centre church in the U.K. and was formally opened by Queen Elizabeth in 1992.

Inside, King Charles attended a reception to meet local groups dedicated to charity, business, faith, the environment and the arts in Milton Keynes, which is about a two-hour drive north of London. He then moved to the Milton Keynes Food Bank to learn more about the organization’s outreach and impact in the area.

The monarch gave a short speech, in which he said he was “delighted” to celebrate Milton Keynes’ new city status.

“So ladies and gentlemen, as you mark your well-deserved status as one of England’s newest cities, I can only offer my heartfelt congratulations and my very best wishes for the future,” he said.

The sovereign was alone during Thursday’s outing, as his wife, Queen Camilla, has tested positive for COVID-19 for the second time. Buckingham Palace announced the news Monday and confirmed the Queen Consort would be canceling her engagements for the rest of the week.

“After suffering the symptoms of a cold, Her Majesty The Queen Consort has tested positive for the COVID virus,” the palace said in a statement. “With regret, she has therefore cancelled all her public engagements for this week and sends her sincere apologies to those who had been due to attend them.”