HUNDREDS of people lined the streets in Malton today hoping to catch of glimpse of King Charles III and Camilla, Queen Consort, following rumours that the royal couple would be visiting.
The royal couple were taking part in a secret visit to the town – with the news only being made official as they arrived.
Despite the rumours, some people arrived early on to get the best view.
Some of the first people on the scene were Carole-Anne and Jonathan Smith, who were visiting from Pocklington.
They arrived shortly before 12.30pm.
This was to be their first time seeing the King.
Carole-Anne had previously seen Catherine, Princess of Wales, at the Grimsby Heritage Centre in 2012 but had seen no other royals in person.
On what they would say to the King the couple answered: “We will (tell the King we will) be watching the coronation and raising a glass.”
They added that they would wish him “good luck” with the role.
Mark and Ann Dodsworth, from Malton, along with their grandaughter, Evelyn Palmer, were also among the first on the scene.
Evelyn was visiting her grandparents from Cumbria, and hoped to see the King.
She had brought with her sunflower seeds to give to the King if she got the chance.
She said: “I’ve got these sunflower seeds. They grow really tall. He can give them to his grandchildren, so they can have a race to see who can grow the biggest.”
Mark previously seen the late Queen Elizabeth II as she drove through Malton when he was 7-years-old.
He spoke of how he waved a large flag as she passed him.
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At around 1.30pm more people had joined the crowd along Yorkersgate – with hundreds now in attendance.
Among them were Richard and Pam Bimpson, who live in Malton.
Pam previously met the late Prince Phillip, Duke of Edinburgh, at a Duke of Edinburgh awards ceremony but had not met any other royals.
Of Prince Phillip, she said he was "very nice".
Pam said she was at the ceremony as her second child was being awarded a gold Duke of Edinburgh award.
When Prince Phillip realised that she had two children with the award he told her "you must be very proud".
Pam said she hoped to see King Charles, and felt that he would make a “very good King”.
Maureen and Fred Armstrong happened to stumble upon Malton today for the first time, as the royals visited.
They were on holiday, staying in Wetherby, and decided to visit.
Fred said the pair had no knowledge of the royal visit.
“We were just driving through to see Malton – to have a look around the town.”
Maureen added that they would be “ever so pleased to see the King”.
Shortly after 2.30pm, King Charles and Camilla, Queen Consort, arrived in Malton.
After spending some time in Talbot Yard meeting local businesses, the royal couple walked along Yorkersgate to meet those that had braved the rain to welcome them.
Susan Jarvis was in the crowd and spoke to the King.
She was travelling through Malton with her husband David, and was unaware of the visit.
The couple were at Talbot Yard where they saw cameras, and were told to move on as the King was arriving.
Susan said she did not believe this, but hurried to the barrier for a look.
Her efforts were rewarded with handshakes from both the King and Queen Consort.
“I’m completely speechless,” she said.
“It was an out of this world experience – on our anniversary.”
On shaking the hands of the royals, Susan joked: “I’ll never wash again!”
Hazel Foster, from Norton, met King Charles outside The Talbot.
She said: “He just asked if we had good shops - I said we did.”
Hazel first met Charles when he was 13-years-old, at Hovingham at the royal wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Kent.
On whether it was worth waiting out in the rain for, she replied: “Oh it was. I’m wet through, but it was worth it.”
Glenis Smith and Shannon Baines, both from Malton, also met the King as he passed.
Shannon said: “He told us that we must have been standing here for a very long time, which we had been.”
She added that she seen the late Queen as a child when Her Majesty visited York, but never got to meet her.
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