A proud day for us…

Today was a special day for us here at North Yorkshire Police as we welcomed King Charles III and the Queen Consort to the City of York.

Tradition was followed as they were met at Micklegate by the Lord Mayor who formally welcomed them into the city.

They then attended a special service at York Minster before the monarch unveiled a statue of Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II outside the Minster.

Thousands of people lined the streets in the city centre. A few spectators were lucky enough to meet the Royal party before they left our area and headed for South Yorkshire.

A well-rehearsed security operation was in place to ensure the safety of the King and Queen Consort. A 23-year-old man was arrested on a suspicion of a public order offence following an incident on Micklegate in York. He currently remains in police custody.

Several roads were closed in the city centre to allow the Royal convoy to pass and to ensure the safety of spectators. North Yorkshire Police worked closely with partners at the Highways Agency and City of York Council to minimise disruption.

Silver Commander for today’s operation Charlotte Bloxham from North Yorkshire Police commented:

“I’m pleased to report that the policing operation and the overall wider visit was successful today.

“An enormous amount of planning and preparation goes into visits of this nature. I would like to thank all the officers and staff that supported today’s operation.

“Many partner agencies also assisted us with the planning and execution and I would also like to extend my thanks to them.

“On behalf of the force, it was a privilege for North Yorkshire Police to welcome the King and Queen Consort to North Yorkshire.”

Silver Commander Charlotte Bloxham with Jason Hedges the Silver Commander from the Yorkshire Ambulance Service in the Force Control Room.

A large number of police resources were involved in the operation which included specially trained officers.

Here are a few images from this momentous day: