It’s royal business as usual for King Charles and Queen Consort Camilla who made their first joint public outing of the year this week as they continue to stay quiet on the subject of Prince Harry‘s new memoir, Spare.
The royal couple traveled to Bolton in the northwest region of England near Manchester on Friday to learn more about the local community. The King and Queen Consort began their visit at the city’s town hall with a warm welcome. After stepping out of their Bentley, they were greeted by several thousand people lining Victoria Square, who were waving flags, clapping, and shouting best wishes. Charles and Camilla were then welcomed by civic leaders, including representatives of the town’s Polish community, before enjoying a performance from the Polonez Folk Dance Group.
Before heading inside, the monarch and his wife took a moment to do a short walk around the square, shaking hands with the crowds of onlookers and asking how everyone was managing in the frosty weather. The couple spoke with eleven-year-old Aafreen from Haslam Park school who told People of the experience, “I was in shock when he shook my hand. He asked us if we had missed our lunch. They are both so caring and kind.” Suzanne Hartop from St. James’s Daisy Hill primary school also had a brush with royalty that day, telling the outlet, “He had a lot of people to get through but he shook hands and spoke to as many as he could. This is not going to happen again for us—it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity.”
Once inside the town hall, Charles and Camilla were taken through the Hall of Memories where they were shown a painting by artist L.S. Lowry, titled “Going to the Match.” From there, they met with representatives from a number of the town’s organizations, including the Interfaith Council and Solidarity Community Association, the Bolton Asian Elders who work to support diaspora groups in the area, and the Bolton Holiday Activities and Food Program which aids low-income families by providing them with meals and sports to participate in. Before leaving, the King and Queen Consort were also given the key to the town hall and treated to a rendition of “God Save The King” by the Hand Made Sign Language choir.
Since the release of Prince Harry’s memoir Spare at the beginning of the month, there has been no official comment on the book and the stories it contains from Buckingham Palace. However, according to sources, the royal family are said to be in shock at the extent to which the Duke of Sussex has divulged private details and conversations. Prince William is reportedly so angry that he won’t speak to his brother, while Charles is said to be “deeply hurt,” according to a family friend who spoke to Vanity Fair. That same insider added that Queen Consort Camilla is “astounded” by Harry’s allegations that she planted stories in the press to rehabilitate her own image at the expense of him and Meghan.
In the book, Harry accuses his stepmother of sharing private information with the press to improve her reputation to the detriment of his wife’s. During an interview with Anderson Cooper on 60 Minutes, he said, “That made her dangerous because of the connections that she was forging within the British press. There was open willingness on both sides to trade information. And with a family built on hierarchy, and with her on the way to being queen consort, there was gonna be people or bodies left in the street.”
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