- The King and Queen arrived in St Helier, Jersey, this afternoon
- The scare turned out to be a false alarm and the royal couple continued on
This is the panicked moment Queen Camilla was whisked away from her engagements in St Helier this afternoon amid a security scare.
Queen Camilla, who will turn 77 on Wednesday, had to make a quick exit from an ice cream van in Weighbridge Place where she was sampling the local delights when a member of her security team rushed over and told her the visit was being cut short.
Thankfully, the scare turned out to be a false alarm and Their Majesties were soon able to continue with their planned programme of engagements.
However it turned out to be a false alarm and Charles and Camilla soon continued with their programme of engagements.
They were immediately taken to the nearby Pomme d’Or hotel where they were due to go for a brief break after the engagement had ended anyway.
After a few minutes they resumed with their visit and undertook a public walkabout.
Queen Camilla was enjoying an ice cream on Weighbridge Place in St Helier, Jersey when she and King Charles were whisked away
The Queen was swiftly led away from the public space amid the scare – although thankfully it was a false alarm
Pictured: A member of Queen Camilla’s security team steps in to whisk her away to a nearby hotel
King Charles was pictured chatting to officials in uniform during his engagement today
Queen Camilla was snapped chatting to well-wishers that had waited to see the royal couple
Buckingham Palace did not comment officially but it is understood there was a ‘small issue of concern’.
An investigation was initiated but it turned out to be a false alarm. Sources said every precaution was taken and the programme resumed shortly afterwards. It does not appear anyone was arrested.
Members of the public including children who had been due to meet them were taken to the hotel so they could meet Their Majesties personally instead.
Queen Camilla, who will celebrate her 77th birthday on Wednesday, donned a turquoise belted dress upon arrival in the Channel Island – but added a waterproof trench coat and umbrella to her ensemble to take the rain into account.
However, as the couple arrived via red carpet onto a stage in the Royal Square in St Helier, where an official welcoming ceremony was carried out before a sitting of the Royal Court and the State Assembly, Camilla realised she still had her waterproof layer on.
The scare turned out to be a false alarm and Charles and Camilla soon continued with their programme of engagements
Beneath the trench coat, Queen Camilla, who celebrates her 77th birthday on Wednesday, donned the crisp blue dress
In a comical clip as she stood with King Charles to be officially greeted by delegates, the Queen, in one swift move, jerked back her shoulders to shake off the coat.
As the coat fell behind her in a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moment, the Queen continued to stand to attention as if nothing has happened – and regained composure in an instant.
However, her quick change was spotted by King Charles, 75, who couldn’t help but smile as he watched her lose the coat.
As the ceremony got underway, the King was presented with a handful of locally-laid ducks eggs as part of welcome ceremony on Jersey today.
His late mother, Queen Elizabeth, was given two dead mallards when she visited in 2001 but it is understood that His Majesty asked for eggs instead.
King Charles said he was ‘delighted’ to return to Jersey, a ‘beautiful and unique’ island that had held such ‘high regard and affection’ for his late mother.
As the heavens opened, they were greeted with huge cheers as they got out of the state Bentley and immediately sheltered under umbrellas.
The King and the Queen, who wore a blue silk shirt dress by Anna Valentine, were led into the square by a Royal Mace, gifted to the island by Charles II in 1663 in recognition of the island’s loyalty to the Crown.
They walked down a red carpet lined with some 200 locals from the legal profession, Jurats, who act as judges, elected politicians and assorted guests.
As the ceremony got underway in the Royal Square, the King was gifted duck eggs in a gesture once offered to the Queen Mother
The guests stood to sing the national anthem as the King and Queen took their places on a dais.
The Bailiff, president of the States Assembly, read out a Loyal Address welcoming the couple before Charles delivered his response.
‘Mr Bailiff, I am most grateful to you and to the States for the warm welcome you have extended to both my wife and myself, and for the assurances of devotion, loyalty and allegiance to the Crown you have expressed on behalf of the people of Jersey,’ he said.
‘My wife and I have such happy recollections of the welcome we received when we were last here in 2012, to mark the Diamond Jubilee of my late mother.
‘During that visit we met so many Islanders and learned of the high regard and affection in which she was held, and also a great deal about your beautiful and unique island. We look forward to doing so again today during our time here in St Helier.’
Queen Camilla’s blue dress was bright and summery amid the grey skies and rainy showers
When the sitting transitioned to a Royal Court, the King was gifted locally laid duck eggs as a symbol of sustenance, replacing an 800-year tradition of presenting the monarch with two dead ducks.
The ritual formed part of a homage paid by five senior seigneurs, or lords of the manor, each of whom stepped up and clasped hands with the monarch, one by one.
When Elizabeth II visited Jersey in 2001, she was presented with two mallards on a silver tray as part of an ancient tradition dating back to the Middle Ages when six seigneurs, or lords of the manor, would pay homage to the sovereign as the Duke of Normandy.
Just as the late Queen did not take the dead ducks home, the King will not be packing the duck eggs in his suitcase.
Instead, he was shown the bowl of white mallard eggs by seigneur Pamela Bell, before they were accepted on his behalf by the Receiver General, the King’s representative on the islands.
The heavens opened as the King and Queen arrived in Jersey this afternoon for their two-day visit to the Channel Islands
Umbrella up! The King, 74, looked cool in his suit and tie as he arrived while carrying an umbrella
Despite the rain, King Charles couldn’t help but smile as he sported another jazzy tie – this time featuring a zebra print
Later on in the visit, the King and Queen were presented with heffer cows; that is, cows who have not yet given birth – and the Queen was left red-faced when two of the animals mounted each other in front of her.
As they continued to be shown around an exhibition following their visit, there was a brief security scare which saw the royal couple whisked away to a nearby hotel for a short time.
Thankfully, the scare was a false alarm and the King and Queen were able to return to their programme of engagements, including a public walkabout.
Buckingham Palace did not comment officially but it is understood there was a ‘small issue of concern’.
An investigation was initiated but it turned out to be a false alarm.
As he returns to the Channel Islands for the first time since 2012, the King, who is known as the Duke of Normandy in the islands, will highlight the relationship between the Islands and the Crown, which stretches back centuries.
It comes as Charles returns to some public duties, despite his continued treatment for cancer.
He attended the busy D-Day commemorations in Normandy, France, at the beginning of June, followed by Trooping the Colour, the Garter Day ceremony and the Royal Ascot.
The trip will end the day before the planned State Opening of Parliament on Wednesday, which is also Camilla’s 77th birthday.
She is said to have urged him to take it easy, but told author Lee Child he ‘won’t slow down and won’t do what he’s told’.
Later this week, as the King and Queen visit Guernsey, Their Majesties will attend a special sitting of the States of Deliberation and ancient ceremony of homage to the monarch, held outdoors on the St Peter Port seafront where islanders can watch the events.
At official functions, islanders raise the loyal toast to ‘The Duke of Normandy, our King’.
Charles and Camilla will also head to the Crown Pier to learn about the island’s heritage and traditions, biodiversity initiatives, local food, and the work to promote the language of Guernesiais – also known as Guernsey French.
Both Jersey and Guernsey have announced special public holidays to mark the royal visits on Monday and Tuesday, respectively.
When the visit was announced in June, Bailiff of Guernsey Sir Richard McMahon said: ‘It will be a great privilege to welcome Their Majesties to the Bailiwick for the first time as King and Queen, the year after their coronation.
‘Their visit this summer shows just how special the relationship between the Crown and the Islands is.’
Deputy Lyndon Trott, Chief Cinister of Guernsey, said: ‘As is well known, His Majesty also has a special interest in global efforts to combat climate change.
‘We are looking forward to showcasing our initiatives to support those efforts and promote sustainability across a range of sectors.
‘That includes the pioneering green finance initiatives of our main economic sector, which have a global impact.’
Both islands are forecast to see temperatures between 15C and 19C across both days, though the couple’s visit to Jersey may get off to a wet start as the Met Office forecasts rain in the morning before a drier afternoon.
Time constraints mean the couple will not be able to travel to the islands of Alderney and Sark, which are part of the Bailiwick of Guernsey.
The Lieutenant-Governor of Jersey, Vice Admiral Jerry Kyd, had previously said Charles and Camilla were ‘looking forward greatly’ to the trip.
‘The binding benefits of this special relationship remain as strong as ever and I know Their Majesties are looking forward greatly to their visit next month,’ Vice Admiral Kyd said in June.
The Crown Dependencies are not part of the UK but are self-governing possessions of the British Crown.
When the late Queen Elizabeth II visited Jersey in 2001, she was presented with two dead ducks on a silver tray – part of an ancient tradition dating back to the Middle Ages when six seigneurs – lords of the manor – would pay homage to the sovereign as the Duke of Normandy with the mallards.
The King and Queen were greeted with grey skies and a downpour as they arrived in Jersey this afternoon.
King Charles, 75, and Queen Camilla, who will celebrate her 77th birthday on Wednesday, smiled nonetheless on their tour of the Channel Island and