How King Charles Handled A Crowd Of Protestors Proclaiming 'Not My King'

On February 16, King Charles III made an appearance in Milton Keynes to mark the former town's official transition to becoming a city. The new city was one of eight winners in Queen Elizabeth's Platinum Jubilee Civic Honors Competition. To be considered for this elevated status, applicants needed to demonstrate civic pride, cultural heritage, and their community's connections to the royal family, per the UK Government. While Queen Camilla was originally scheduled to join the king at the celebration, she was unable to participate due to her recent COVID-19 diagnosis.

Describing the king's visit, Councilor Amanda Marlow, Milton Keynes' mayor, said, "It was a wonderful occasion for everyone involved, especially for our residents who will cherish these memories forever." However, not everyone in the crowd was charmed by the monarch's presence. A group of protestors attended the event, and intended to air their concerns about topics like the money being spent on the king's May 6 coronation. 

As a working royal, dealing with protestors is part of the job description. Back in November, a lone protestor lobbed eggs at King Charles and Queen Camilla during a visit to York. In a more serious incident in 1994, the then-prince was visiting Sydney, Australia, when a university student climbed onto a stage and fired blank shots from a starting pistol at him. So when protestors announced they'd be at Milton Keynes, King Charles relied on his past experiences for guidance.

When King Charles arrived at the Church of Christ the Cornerstone in Milton Keynes, he was greeted by a mix of well-wishers and protestors. As reported by The Telegraph, while some people cheered and sang "God Save the King," 20 members of the anti-monarchy group Republic displayed bright yellow signs reading "Not my King." They also displayed a caricature of the monarch captioned, "Not fit for purpose."

True to form, the king kept his cool and disregarded the protestors. Instead, Charles focused his energy on shaking hands and interacting with fans. Some presented the king with flowers and wished Queen Camilla well. Speaking to The Mirror, body language expert Judi James wasn't surprised by the monarch's calm demeanor. "Charles has stoicism in his DNA, thanks to his mother the late Queen, enabling him to perform a perfect 'ignore,'" James said. She also noted the wisdom of the king's strategy, saying, "Showing a response can encourage these types of protest behaviors."

On social media, the video of Charles' reaction earned him respect. "Not everyone is going to like you and that's OK, they'll get over it. Good that he went over to that side and still greeted those that wanted to see him. Makes me like him even more," tweeted one fan. "Nobody who is weak/insecure can be THAT unbothered," commented another. "He is so confident in the role he was born to do."