"Not My King"; Protestors Revolt At Milton Keynes.
King Charles III visited The Church Of Christ The CornerStone, Milton Keynes, on Thursday, February 16th, 2023. He was met with an anti-monarchical protest by people revolting with a placard sign that read " Not My King".
The King's calm demeanor surprised many as he continued his mission unfazed in the new city.
Milton Keynes had been classified as a city before the late monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, passed on. The 74-year-old monarch traveled down to celebrate its new status as a city, unaware of the resistance he would face on arrival.
According to a tweet by Richard Palmer, a royal correspondent of the Daily Express, the 20-man protest was directed by the anti-monarchy group Republic which had revealed its plan to protest the King's coronation scheduled for May 6.
In what looked like a counter-attack, another group of people came to see him waving in solidarity and chanting "God Save The King" in a Twitter video shared by Heart News East. The King, who looked to be in good spirits and unbothered by the revolt earlier, came out to shake hands with supporters believed to be from Union Jack since they were seen with its flag.
Not A First-Time Opposition For King Charles
The new King had become accustomed to opposition like this from the public. In early November last year, he and Queen Camilla were on a walkabout in York when someone from the crowd threw eggs that had managed to land only a few miles from them. They were at Micklegate Bar, a historic gateway in the northern English city where the monarch traditionally enters when the food is thrown.
According to a report by the Northern Echo, the police later detained a protester caught screaming, "This country was built on the blood of slaves''
Later on, in December, he was reported to have been met by similar public opposition, according to Associated Press. On another walkabout in Luton, King Charles was allegedly thrown an egg while he stood outside the town hall to shake hands with well-wishers. The protection officers had to change his direction to another point where he could continue greeting the people without harm or likely threats.
The BBC news later reported that the Bedfordshire police had taken a young man in his 20s into custody to interrogate him on what had happened at Luton that day.
King Charles Continues In The Queen's Legacy
The King gave a short speech at the Church of Christ the Cornerstone to celebrate Milton Keynes's new status as a city. Queen Elizabeth formally opened the church in 1982 as the first ecumenical city-center church in the U.K.
Delightfully, King Charles is still following in his mother's footsteps as he met with local groups dedicated to charity, faith, environment, and business in Milton Keynes before moving to the city's Food Bank to learn more about their outreach and community development activities in the area.
In his speech, he explained how delighted he was to be a part of the city's new status celebration and wished them the best for the future.
"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 Royal Family seems to be going through several oppositions at this time. From the scandal that trailed the unfair treatment of the late Princess Diana and Megan Markle to the ban of Prince Harry from the palace and all royal duties, it has been a hard time for the royals.
Speculations are still ongoing as regards the presence of Prince Harry at the coronation and if the King would bend to his demands for a public apology. We hope the Royal Family overcomes all its challenges before the upcoming coronation event starting on March 6.