The King and Queen Consort have arrived at York Minster for the annual Royal Maundy service – to be met by a mob of anti-monarchy protesters.
Charles and Camilla were greeted at the Great West Doors by the Dean of York, the Very Reverend Dominic Barrington, and the Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell.
They were presented with the traditional nosegay, a small flower bouquet, as they entered the cathedral in the sunshine.
The royal couple were greeted by hundreds of cheering well-wishers and a handful of noisy demonstrators holding ‘Not My King’ banners as they left their car.
Every year on Maundy Thursday, the sovereign distributes special Maundy money to local people in recognition of their work in the church and community.
Charles waves to wellwishers as he arrives at York Minister this morning
Camilla and Charles seen through the window of their state car during their arrival in York
It comes as Camilla was referred to as Queen Camilla in invitations for her husband’s coronation – marking the transition from the title of Queen Consort.
Meanwhile, Charles today signalled his support for research into his family’s links with the slave trade for the first time after a document emerged showing one of his predecessors owned shares in a company involved in transatlantic slavery.
Today, the Guardian published a ledger revealing that King William III – better known as William of Orange – had a stake in the Royal African Company.
The document, which dates from 1689 and was found in a royal archive by Virginia-based historian Dr Brooke Newman, shows a transfer of £1,000 of shares in the business to William of Orange from its governor, Edward Colston.
In response, Buckingham Palace said that Charles took the issue of his family’s links to slavery ‘profoundly seriously’ and backed research into the issue.
Anti-monarchy group Republic has been behind a string of ‘Not My King’ demonstrations at Charles’ public engagements.
The group has branded Charles ‘fair game’ and admitted that heckling the late Queen would have been unpopular with the public, as MailOnline exclusively revealed.
The King has been regularly targeted by a variety of other republican campaigners, one of whom egged him when he visited York for the first time of his reign last year.
Patrick Thelwell, a Green Party campaigner, shouted ‘this country was built on slavery’ after hurling the eggs before being bundled away by police.
Charles and Camilla arrive at York Minister to the backdrop of a small but noisy demonstration
The ‘not my king’ slogan has been used by other protesters who have regularly picketed Charles’ public engagements
Protesters holding a banner reading ‘not my king’ gather in York prior to King Charles’ visit today
The royal couple chat as they leave their state car and walk into the historic cathedral
On the King’s first visit to York last year, he was egged by a Green Party activist shouting ‘this country was built on slavery’. Pictured: Protesters today
A woman holding a union flag stood in front of the protesters, one of whom had a loud hailer
The group of demonstrators gathered outside York Minister, where the ancient ceremony will take place
News of Camilla’s elevation came as officials released an image of the elaborately illustrated invitation that will be sent out later this month to 2,000 guests who have secured a much-coveted place at Westminster Abbey on May 6.
The first clue that the King’s long-held dream of having his wife crowned Queen at his side was finally to be realised came in the wording of the invitation itself: ‘The Coronation of Their Majesties King Charles III and Queen Camilla.’
Asked about the title – when the accompanying press release itself still referred to Camilla as the Queen Consort – a senior royal aide confirmed: ‘It made sense to refer to her Majesty as The Queen Consort in the early months of His Majesty’s reign, to distinguish from Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
‘Queen Camilla is the appropriate title to set against King Charles on the invitation. The Coronation is an appropriate time to start using ‘Queen Camilla’ in an official capacity. All former Queen Consorts have been known as Queen plus their first name.’
It is understood that Buckingham Palace will amend its website to reflect the change next month.
King Charles and Camilla will celebrate their coronation on the Buckingham Palace balcony without Harry and Meghan if they decide to attend, it was revealed today.
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His Majesty is said to want to show the world how he is slimming down Britain’s monarchy – and will reward his closest and most loyal family members including William, Kate and their three children.
His Majesty is said to want to show the world how he is slimming down Britain’s monarchy – and will reward his closest and most loyal family members including William, Kate and their three children
The Queen and Prince Philip on the balcony at the Trooping of the Colour in 2017. Her Majesty would often have 30-40 royals there for state occasions. Charles will have 15 for the coronation and this would not include Harry and Meghan
A total of 15 people will be on the balcony following the coronation at Westminster Abbey on Saturday, May 6.
But the Sussexes, who are yet to RSVP, and Prince Andrew will not be among them. Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank and Princess Beatrice and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi will also miss out.
A source told The Mirror: ‘The King has been very clear who he wants to represent the monarchy. There is little room for sentiment, this is a State occasion, not a family occasion and it is right that only the working members of the family are there at the big public moment.’
After returning to Buckingham Palace in the Gold State coach, Charles and Camilla will stand on the balcony to wave to crowds and watch a RAF flypast.
They will be joined by the Prince and Princess of Wales and their three children – Prince George, nine; Princess Charlotte, seven and Prince Louis, four. Edward and Sophie, the new Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, will be there.
Charles’ sister Princess Anne, the Princess Royal, will be by the King’s side with her husband Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence.
The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester and the Duke of Kent, 87, his sister Princess Alexandra, 86, will also attend, as a thank you for their loyalty to the Queen and their decades of work for the Royal family.
The source added: ‘The balcony moment will be the King’s final presentation of a slimmed down monarchy, which of course will be even further slimmed down once the Gloucesters, Duke of Kent and Princess Alexandra finally step away from public life and into their well earned retirements.
‘It is a final thank you for them and a nod to their support of his mother during her 70 year reign.’
Royal insiders say they are still ‘none the wiser’ as to whether Harry and Meghan plan to come to the Coronation, despite the deadline for RSVPs closing on Monday.
Sources have said that the April 3 cut-off date has now passed and staff have still not been told whether the King’s estranged son and his wife are accepting his invitation to attend, even though the event is now just a month away.
The issue is said to be causing a ‘headache’ for organisers, who are trying to finalise details such as seating arrangements, cars, and security for VIPs attending the historic ceremony on May 6.
And even if they did decide to attend, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex would not be allowed to stand on the Buckingham Palace balcony next to the King and Queen because they are no longer working royals.
The monarch will be joined by a select few who show the ‘heartbeat and future of his family’ and who have dedicated their lives to public service. Charles and Camilla will arrive at Buckingham Palace from Westminster Abbey in a Gold State coach, followed by the ‘final group of 15’ which would not make room for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.
Royal insiders say they are still ‘none the wiser’ as to whether Harry and Meghan plan to come to the Coronation, despite the deadline for RSVPs closing on Monday (Prince Harry, the Duchess of Sussex, King Charles and Queen Camilla are pictured in September 2022)
Sources have said that the April 3 cut-off date has now passed and staff have still not been told whether the King’s estranged son and his wife are accepting his invitation to attend, even though the event is now just a month away (Meghan and Harry pictured in New York in December 2022)
Buckingham Palace declined to comment on Harry and Meghan’s non-RSVP, although an aide said it was unlikely there would be such a strict cut-off date for family members as there would be other guests.
But one source said: ‘Everything is still up in the air and there’s only a month to go.
‘All people have been told is that ‘it should hopefully be resolved soon’. But in the meantime the teams are trying to finalise plans for 2,000 guests, many of whom are international heads of state and VIPs. It’s a headache.’
The Daily Mail first revealed last year that Charles would be inviting the Duke and Duchess of Sussex to his coronation, despite the many brickbats they have thrown at the King, his wife and his wider family.
The Sussexes later confirmed they had received an invitation by email. Relations are so bad that the King and Prince William have not spoken to the California-based couple for several months.
One newspaper sympathetic to the Sussexes reported yesterday that they had been in ’email correspondence’ with the palace recently but said Harry was in a ‘predicament’ about whether to attend.
The prince has previously demanded that his family apologise to him and Meghan over how they were allegedly treated, and said he would need to sit down and talk to his father and brother if they were to consider coming.
The Mail subsequently revealed, however, that the King and his eldest son are in no mood to ‘pander’ to his demands.
Despite the awkwardness that would ensue if either Harry or Meghan were come, the King is understood to be determined to do the right thing and invite his younger son.
And a game of transatlantic ‘ping pong’ has apparently been going on for weeks now about arrangements should the Sussexes attend.
In the meantime Buckingham Palace staff have been ordered to plan as if they were coming, suggesting it wasn’t a definite and immediate ‘no’.
But this is causing problems for staff, who say: ‘Switching things like seating arrangements are fairly easy. But the thing that is causing more of a headache, is the security, cars and other logistical matters.
‘Any plans that mesh with the rest of the family are more important and problematic.
The issue is causing a ‘headache’ for organisers, who are trying to finalise issues such as seating arrangements, cars, and security for the Coronation on May 6 (pictured in June 2022)
Buckingham Palace declined to comment, although an aide said it was unlikely there would be such a strict cut-off date for family members as there would be other guests (King Charles and Queen Camilla are pictured marking the Coronation next month)
‘There’s clearly a lot going on behind the scenes in terms of talks between members of the family and their offices. But at this stage in proceedings people could just do with some clarity.
‘There are now two plans, one for if they do come and another if they don’t. It’s another layer of responsibility that staff could do without.’
Another family friend said it seemed deeply ‘unfair’ to the King and Queen Consort to have uncertainty over the Sussexes hanging over their heads when they just wanted to get on and plan ‘such a wonderful and historic day of celebration’.
‘Regardless of everything that’s happened, a simple yes or no would be polite and suffice,’ they added.
