King and Queen visit picturesque Essex village

5 February 2026

Shivani ChaudhariEssex

A man was directed away from the crowds by police officers after shouting a question regarding the King's brother

Hundreds of people waited out in the rain to catch a glimpse of King Charles III and Queen Camilla during their visit to a picturesque Essex village.

The royal couple were in Dedham to meet representatives from Next Chapter – a domestic abuse charity – and members of the Dedham Art Society.

The vast majority of cheers from the bystanders were supportive, but one heckler shouted an apparent reference to the Jeffrey Epstein affair and Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor.

"Charles, Charles, have you pressurised the police to start investigating Andrew?" said the man, who was in the crowd holding a blue umbrella.

News image — Hundreds of people braved the rain in hopes of catching a glimpse of the royal couple

John Fairhall/BBC Scores of people surrounding a memorial wearing their raincoats. Some are standing on the ledge and wearing raincoats and others are holding umbrellas. They are trying to spot the King and Queen — Hundreds of people braved the rain in hopes of catching a glimpse of the royal couple

Police officers approached the man afterwards and walked with him away from the barriers.

A news reporter also tried to ask the King a question about his brother.

The pair subsequently walked to the far side of the road, away from the watching public, to continue their walkabout.

PA Media The King and Queen meeting the public. Both of them are holding umbrellas and wearing coats. There are metal gates lining the road, and crowds behind them in waterproof clothing. — The King and Queen shook the hands of hundreds of people waiting in the rain to meet them

PA Media King Charles points at the town crier, who is wearing a red coat and holding the Union flag. — The royal couple stopped for the town crier outside the Sun Inn

Adrian Sharpe, of Dedham, who was among the crowds, said the visit was "nice and casual really for a village event – obviously high security".

Asked about the heckler, the 62-year-old handyman said: "I think it's pointless really as what Andrew's done is what Andrew's done, it's not what King Charles has done is it?

"He's his own person."

The former prince moved out of his home in Windsor to the Sandringham Estate in Norfolk on Monday, which followed the latest drop of Epstein files.

"What else can [the Royal Family] do?" asked Sharpe.

"Surely it's a police matter now."

John Fairhall/BBC Rennie Chivers looks at the camera outside in his red town crier regalia. He has black-framed glasses and grey hair, a grey beard and a moustache. He is wearing a black and red hat. — Town crier Rennie Chivers said braving the rain was "part of being British"

Phoebe Townsend, 22, from nearby Stratford St Mary, also said she was "just here to see the King", and added: "[We] probably will never see them again, [it's] once in a lifetime to see him or just anyone from the Royal Family."

Town crier Rennie Chivers said he thought Dedham had never hosted a king and queen since the village was mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086.

Asked how he felt about the rain, he said: "It's part of being British, isn't it?"

John Fairhall/BBC (L-R) A woman wearing a purple raincoat smiling at the camera and standing next to her dad who is wearing a blue and yellow coat. He is also smiling. — Phoebe Townsend, 22, from nearby Stratford St Mary, was there to see the King with her dad Russell Townsend

Darius Laws An aerial image taken of the River Stour, showing parked vehicles, an ice cream van, lots of people by river, tents, paddle boards, people in the river, and trees and grass areas. — The River Stour forms the border between Essex and Suffolk, and is a popular spot with visitors to Dedham and Stratford St Mary

Dedham is in the Dedham Vale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, which straddles the Essex-Suffolk border.

The area, which has the River Stour running through it, is best known as Constable Country – named after the famous British landscape artist who lived locally.

Dedham Art Society supports East Anglia Children's Hospice and is a partner of the local Munnings Museum.

The King and Queen also paid a visit to the Sun Inn gastro-pub, where the Queen Consort tried cutting ravioli pasta in the kitchen.

Towards the end of the walkabout, they listened to a choir of schoolchildren in the street, before the King unveiled a plaque and cut a cake at the Essex Rose tearoom.

Dedham Parish Council/TazzyBro Photography King Charles is in a smart brown double-breasted coat, with a red tie. He is holding a black umbrella over his shoulder. Queen Camilla is behind him in a blue coat. Charles is smiling or laughing while facing someone in the crowd. It is overcast above. — The King and Queen met with representatives from Next Chapter, a domestic abuse charity

Reuters The Queen with blonde hair, in a blue coat with an apron, stands in a restaurant kitchen holding a fresh bit of ravioli in both hands. A man in a white chef's shirt and a blue apron is standing to her left, also appearing to knead a piece of fresh ravioli pasta. — The Queen tried her hand in the kitchen

Sheila Millington told the BBC she got up at 06:30 to ensure she saw the King: "I've followed him since he was a boy; he did so much good all his life."

BBC News reporter Alex Dunlop was at the scene and said: "Today's visit will be a welcome distraction from the turmoil surrounding the King's younger brother Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor.

"They were only here an hour but they certainly made a lasting impression."