A man in his 20s has been arrested on suspicion of common assault after an egg was allegedly thrown in the direction of the King during a walkabout.
Bedfordshire Police said the suspect was in custody for questioning after being arrested in St George's Square in Luton on Tuesday.
The King had been temporarily steered away from the crowds outside Luton Town Hall by his security staff shortly after arriving. He then resumed shaking hands with members of the public after being moved to a different area.
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The incident comes just weeks after 23-year-old Patrick Thelwell was arrested for throwing an egg at the King and Queen Consort during a visit to York. The royal couple had just arrived in the city on November 9 to unveil a statue in honour of the late Queen at York Minster when a figure in the crowd threw four eggs, all of which missed.
On Tuesday, the King looked relaxed as he met members of the public during his visit to Luton, just a day after the Duke of Sussex spoke of a “dirty game” in a trailer for his new Netflix series. is Majesty was all smiles in the Bedfordshire sunshine on Tuesday, chatting to dozens of people at the Town Hall and the newly built Guru Nanak Gurdwara.
The King, who had a plaster on his left thumb, removed his shoes and put on a Ramaal headscarf in the Sikh temple, where he made a namaste gesture as he greeted people. He bowed in front of the Sikh holy book, Guru Granth Sahib, and sat cross-legged on the floor, wearing an orange scarf over his suit, before being invited to unveil a plaque to mark the official opening of the Gurdwara.
The plaque included Tuesday’s date, and Charles joked that it was a good job he "turned up on the right day". During his visit to the Gurdwara he met women in the kitchen who cook for hundreds of people every day, and marvelled at their work with dough.
"Isn't it wonderful how they inflate?" he said, asking if there is a "secret" to the method. Earlier, many of those who greeted Charles at the Town Hall wished him a "Merry Christmas" and some had taken presents to give to him.
The King was greeted by Lord Lieutenant of Bedfordshire Susan Lousada and Mayor of Luton Sameera Saleem. He met representatives from Luton Council as well as guests from a range of community organisations, including Bedfordshire Police and Crime Commissioner Festus Akinbusoye, who was previously supported by the Prince's Trust.
Charles signed a visitors' book and unveiled a plaque commemorating his visit in the Town Hall, which was opened by the Duke of Kent in 1936. He was also given Luton-made honey by council chief executive Robin Porter.
Charles has made several previous visits to the town, including in 1985 when he opened a new terminal at Luton Airport. .
This week's visit came a day after a one-minute teaser for the six-part Netflix series Harry & Meghan was released on Monday in which the duke discusses the “pain and suffering” of women marrying into the royal family.
Netflix confirmed volume one will launch on December 8 – exactly three months after the death of Harry’s grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II – with the second volume to be released on December 15.
The trailer opens with Harry saying: “It’s really hard to look back on it now and go ‘What on earth happened?’”
As videos play of the couple receiving rapturous applause while carrying out royal duties as well as announcing their engagement and their wedding in 2018, a news clip voiceover by Piers Morgan says: “She’s becoming a royal rock star.”
It cuts to Meghan saying “and then…” before snapping her fingers, with Harry adding: “Everything changed.”
A photo of the royal family at Trooping the Colour in 2019 is shown while Harry continues his narration, saying: “There’s a hierarchy of the family, you know, there’s leaking, but there’s also planting of stories. It’s a dirty game.”
Meanwhile, on Tuesday morning, Kensington Palace announced that Charles and the Queen Consort are to attend the Princess of Wales’s Christmas carol service on December 15.
The King, Camilla, Kate and the Prince of Wales will gather with other members of the royal family for the Together At Christmas service at Westminster Abbey.
The show of family unity will come on the day the final three episodes of Harry and Meghan’s docuseries drop on Netflix.
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