Man arrested after egg thrown at the King during Luton visit

Rhiannon Mills

Royal correspondent

@SkyRhiannon

Everyone was desperate for this to be a visit without any problems or distractions. And then the police had to act.

When you watch the footage back you see them subtly move the King away, as a man in his 20s was arrested for allegedly trying to throw an egg.

The King clearly very quickly briefed but still waving as he walked towards another part of the crowd.

Yes, it may potentially have been a display of anti-monarchy sentiment, but this was nothing like the egg-throwing incident seen in York a few weeks ago.

I was in St George's Square in Luton and no one really clocked that it had even happened. And on a day when it was always going to be interesting to see how people responded to the monarch, he was largely warmly welcomed by the diverse crowd.

After all, this was the first time he's been out meeting the public since those trailers were released for Harry and Meghan's docuseries and the racism claims emerged against the palace last week.

I met Sean and Raja, who closed their office so all the staff could come to see the King. Not your usual royal fans, they were impressed that he'd come to visit and are prepared to give the King time to make changes.

"It'll be good to see what he does for us and the country," Raja said, with Sean adding: "Even if people have concerns, you can't change it (the institution) overnight. It's a work in progress… in every job everyone needs a bit of time."

The negative headlines are no doubt a challenge and will be a frustration for a monarch who from day one has wanted us to see him as approachable and less formal.

He's been remarkably tactile with crowds and today appeared to suggest to one women she didn't need to curtsy.

Since the start of his reign, so many engagements have been about championing diversity and celebrating an inclusive Britain, but this is a week where we find out how much that work on the ground can combat the allegations coming from across the Atlantic.

The King's advisers will always stress that this is a man who as heir actively supported all communities, all faiths. He takes that role seriously.

We saw it today as one of his Sikh police officers was seen advising him on how he should conduct himself at the newly-built Guru Nanak Gurdwara.

He paused and prayed. An important moment of reflection, for a monarch focused on his work but inevitably bracing himself for what is to come from his youngest son.