King Charles andQueen Consort Camilla ignored heckles from protestors as they arrived in Colchester to celebrate its newly-awarded city status.
The couple were greeted by flag waving children and chatted warmly to the crowds during theroyal engagement on Tuesday.
But they were also met with shouts from protesters holding a yellow banner that said “not my King”.
One of the protesters, speaking through a megaphone, said as Charles and Camilla got out of a car: “Answer your critics Charles, come and talk to your critics.”
The protester added: “Why are you wasting our money?”
The King waved to the gathered crowds before going through a gate into Colchester Castle’s grounds, but did not appear to acknowledge the protesters who were stood on the far side of the road behind a police presence.
The King, 74, and Queen Consort, 75, are set to meet TV presenter and children’s authorDermot O’Leary and author Frank Cottrell-Boyce, who are both local to the area, as part of the visit.
Colchester, in Essex, officially became a city in November 2022, having been awarded the status during theQueen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations.
As part of Tuesday’s visit, Charles and Camilla visited Colchester Castle to celebrate with local organisations which represent the city’s heritage and communities.
They met those who took part in Colchester’s city status procession last year, including charities, volunteers and refugees who have settled in Colchester.
The couple also met the animal care team from Colchester Zoo to hear about their conservation work before revealing the chosen name for the Zoo’s newest addition, a baby white rhino.
Later at Colchester Library, Charles and Camilla are expected to join Age UK for an afternoon tea with local volunteers, service users and The Silver Line staff to hear about the support provided by the charity across the region.
King Charles became patron of Age UK in 2010 when he was Prince of Wales. Camilla, meanwhile, became patron of The Silver Line – the free, 24-hour telephone service for older people across the UK – in 2017 when she was Duchess of Cornwall.
At the library, Camilla will join a gathering of local authors, children, supporters and volunteers to celebrate the Essex Year of Reading.
The countywide campaign was established to help children and young people discover a lifelong love of reading, and help to ensure every Essex child is able to read at their age level or above.
Camilla is set to be welcomed by characters Alice in Wonderland and the Mad Hatter, played by actors from the local Mercury Theatre.
She's also expected to be joined by Dermot O’Leary, who is a keen supporter of the Essex Year of Reading, as well as Cottrell-Boyce.
The Queen Consort has long advocated the importance of reading – recently discussing its“life-changing” effects on a visit to Book Aid’s international headquarters.
On World Book Day last week, Camilla alsospoke about the importance of reading at an early age to help children understand different places, cultures and ways of life.
The King, meanwhile, has been in the news recently after it emerged he had asked Harry, 38, and Meghan, 41, to vacate Frogmore Cottage – the UK home they were gifted by the lateQueen following their marriage in 2018.
OK! exclusively revealed this week that Prince Andrew’s daughterEugenie was moving into the cottage instead.
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