A tourist got quite a shock when she managed to run into royalty during her trip to the U.K.
Emily Tharp, 35, from New Jersey, in the United States, was on a solo vacation in London, England, when her walking tour guide asked her and her group to stop for a moment as something looked “different.” To her surprise, King Charles III was being driven through the gate she was waiting at, accompanied by a police escort.
“Toward the end of my trip, I was on the Changing of the Guard tour with See the Sights Tours London, and our very astute tour guide, Mike, noticed something looked different behind the gates of Clarence House,” Tharp told Newsweek.
@herphilly/TikTok
“He asked our group if we wanted to continue to see more guards or stay here and see what happens, and I shouted ‘stay.’ The street did start filling up, but we were all in prime position,” Tharp said.
“I absolutely could not believe in my first time in London I saw the king. It just felt really poignant after spending the whole week learning about prior kings and queens and the monarchy.”
Tharp shared a clip of what she was lucky enough to see on TikTok, gaining over 527,000 views since she posted it on November 21. In the video, crowds can be seen waiting at the gate as police officers on motorbikes begin to drive through.
Then, a black limo arrives and audible gasps can be heard as the king is spotted in the back of the vehicle as it drives by.
Charles III was crowned monarch on May 6, 2023 in the United Kingdom after the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, in September 2022.
Royal palaces and monuments are a huge driver for tourism in London, which was the second-most visited city in the world in 2023 behind Istanbul, Turkey, according to Statista.
The British capital received 18.8 million international arrivals in 2023, beating popular global destinations such as Dubai, New York City, and Paris.
Tharp’s video received hundreds of comments with people sharing their thoughts and reactions.
“My first (and only) trip in 1988, we came upon a parade with the queen, queen mother, and Princess Diana in carriages,” @Exit25GSP shared.
Trace commented: “This happened to us in Windsor park [in Berkshire]. The guard said ‘stand right here’ and the Queen came by driving herself home from church in her jag [Jaguar car]. One of the best moments of my life.”
Kristine wrote: “Now you have the best vacation story ever!”
“This is so cool, I’m surprised they don’t have more security,” posted @HobbitSid.
