King Charles and Camilla visit Colchester to mark city status

King Charles III and Camilla, the Queen Consort, have visited Colchester to celebrate its city status.

Colchester in Essex was awarded city status as part of the Queen's Platinum Jubilee celebrations last year.

Protesters holding a banner that said "not my King" joined crowds that had gathered to greet the King and Camilla as they arrived at Colchester Castle.

As the couple got out of their car, one protester shouted: "Why are you wasting our money?"

Local organisations representing the city's heritage and communities were at the castle to meet the King and Camilla.

Among them were refugees who have settled in Colchester and the animal care team from Colchester Zoo.

During the reception, the King and Queen Consort unveiled the name of the zoo's newest rhino calf, Dara.

King Charles pulled a cord to draw back material which had covered the name on an easel.

A town crier then rang a bell and boomed, as Charles chuckled: "Oyez, oyez, oyez! I officially proclaim Colchester Zoo's newest addition as baby Dara."

The female southern white rhino calf was born on 13 January and her name means "beautiful" in Swahili.

The King told zoo staff: "I do hope it grows into a substantial animal."

At the castle reception, the mayor of Colchester, Tim Young, told the King: "Words cannot describe how much it means to us that you are here."

King Charles and Camilla then joined people from Age UK for an afternoon tea at Colchester Library. They heard from local volunteers, service users and staff from The Silver Line, which is a free telephone service for older people.

King Charles became patron of Age UK in in 2010 while he was Prince of Wales, while Camilla became patron of The Silver Line in 2017 while she was Duchess of Cornwall.

The King chatted to volunteers but did not get involved in a debate as to whether it should be jam or cream on top of scones.

Volunteer Atique Akhtar, who has weekly chats with an elderly person as part of Age UK's Silver Line project, said: "He was very diplomatic and didn't take sides, he just chaired the debate."

At the library, Camilla joined 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.

Presenter and children's author Dermot O'Leary and screenwriter Frank Cottrell-Boyce, who are both local to Colchester, also joined Camilla at the library.

The Queen Consort was presented with a membership card for Essex Libraries during a tour of the Colchester branch.

"I shall have to come back and see what I can find," Camilla said.

As the couple left, about 20 protesters booed but they were equalled by spectators chanting "God save the King".

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