King Charles may well be due some good luck this afternoon after getting seagull droppings on his suit jacket during his visit to Northern Ireland today.
The monarch, 77, visited the picturesque Newcastle, County Down, to highlight crucial local community projects.
As he was leaving a food bank project in the seaside town, the incident occurred, leaving a noticeable white smear on the back of Charles’s suit.
Ever the good sport, the father-of-two immediately laughed it off and continued to make his way through the crowds of well-wishers.
And when a member of the public pointed out the incident, Charles simply joked: ‘At least it didn’t land on my head.’
A royal aide discreetly pointed it out and offered him his overcoat to put on, but His Majesty smilingly waved the offer off and insisted on plunging into the huge, cheering crowds for an impromptu walkabout as they had been waiting for so long.
The King and Queen went their separate ways as they embarked on their second day of a three-day visit to Northern Ireland, with Camilla enjoying a stroll through the village of Hillsborough, just 12 miles from Belfast, and home to Hillsborough Castle.
The King’s first stop was the Newcastle Community Cinema, founded in 2008 by a group of local film enthusiasts, which now sits at the heart of community life.
King Charles suffered an unfortunate incident during his visit to Newcastle, County Down, Northern Ireland today
As he arrived at the Box Office he was given a special ‘VIP’ ticket by Vera Edelstein, who was manning the booth.
‘Is that for me?’ he beamed. ‘That’s very generous of you.’ He also asked about the recent films shown and how popular different films were.
He was then invited into the screening box to help start the playing of a short trailer for a recent film A Quiet Love about a real life deaf couple and their lives through the Troubles.
Meeting John and Agnes Carberry afterwards, he told them: ‘You were very courageous. When did you meet? At school? Oh childhood sweethearts. Lovely.’
He also met Northern Irish actor Ian McElhinney, who has starred in Derry Girls and Game Of Thrones.
Afterwards he headed to the Donard Methodist Church where he met volunteers from The Pantry Food Bank, giving them the giggles as he examined the contents of their boxes.
He seized on a toilet roll and declared: ‘Very important.’
The group provides food for around 52 families a month and fear demand growing with rising heating oil prices this winter.
The mark was visible on the back of the monarch’s suit – but he laughed the incident off and carried on meeting well-wishers
‘You are managing?’ he enquired.
‘Do they mention who they think will need help? You’ve got some good eggs. Terrific. And do you get good feedback. Do people come and collect or do you visit? There are lots of delicious pastas and things. Things that families need.’
He was then invited to help pack a box that will go to a single person this week.
He carefully and tidily placed in bread, fresh fruit and vegetables, a toothbrush and toothpaste.
‘I’m sure there is a special order they go in,’ the King mused.
‘Oh that needs to lie down properly.’
‘Very, very important,’ he added placing more toilet roll in.
‘You are all very, very special people. What you do is so important.’
After meeting community groups including the local RNLI and Mountain Rescue, he embarked on a walkabout, people shouting his name and saying ‘God Save The King’.
Among them was Rosemary Allan, who is about to celebrate her 102nd birthday, and schoolboy George Murdoch, 11, who had brought a box of freshly laid eggs to give to the monarch.
One member of the crowd said: ‘Welcome to Northern Ireland, Your Majesty, thank you for coming to see us.’
Another member of the crowd shouted: ‘We love you Charles.’
A third told him: ‘This is so special. I will never forget it. The last monarch to visit was King George V, so it’s long overdue. We are hugely grateful.’
