King Charles and Queen Camilla plant royal tree at Northern Ireland garden party

WATCH: Cameron Walker summarises King and Queen's trip to Northern Ireland

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GB NEWS

Ben McCaffrey

By Ben McCaffrey


Published: 20/05/2026

- 19:09

The couple have enjoyed an action-packed two days in Northern Ireland

The King and Queen attended a garden party at Hillsborough Castle this afternoon, on the second day of their visit to Northern Ireland.

King Charles and Queen Camilla met community heroes from across Northern Ireland during the event with a particular focus on those within the voluntary and charitable sectors.


The King stepped out in a light grey suit with a crisp white shirt, paired with an ivory silk tie and white pocket square.

Camilla, meanwhile, stunned in her cobalt blue dress, dramatic wide-brim hat and synonymous moth brooch. She contrasted the vibrant blue with black leather gloves and bag.

Despite the overcast conditions, the green-fingered King still had his hand in gardening.

The couple planted a Malus Royalty tree during the event, as the monarch got his hands dirty by picking up a shovel and digging the ground himself.

King Charles concluded by laughing and joking with military personnel, who also saw the funny side of his characteristic wit.

King Charlles and Queen Camilla

The King and Queen attended a garden party at Hillsborough Castle this afternoon, on the second day of their visit to Northern Ireland

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PA

King Charles, Qyeen Camilla

The couple planted a Malus Royalty tree during the event, as the monarch got his hands dirty by picking up a shovel and digging the ground himself

|

PA

King Charles

King Charles concluded by laughing and joking with military personnel, who also saw the funny side of his characteristic wit

|

PA

Wednesday marked another action-packed day for the royals, although one that was marred by a birdy faux pas - no, the King did not visit a golf course.

Instead, the unsuspecting King found himself on the receiving end of a nearby seagull, who relieved himself on the monarch.

While he was greeting members of the public at The Pantry Foodbank, the bird pooed on the King, with the droppings landing on the lower right portion of his back.

"At least it didn't land on my head!" he quipped after he was made aware of the unfortunate incident.

\u200bKing CharlesKing Charles was pooed on during a royal engagement in Northern Ireland | GB NEWS

One woman in the crowd even joked that the incident constituted a "very Ulster greeting," a reference to County Down's northwest location within the province.

But the animal-loving King did not hold any grudges and continued with his packed schedule as normal.

Camilla and her husband went their separate ways for the afternoon, with the Queen heading to a local pub in Royal Hillsborough.

\u200bQueen CamillaQueen Camilla stepped behind the bar at the Parson's Nose pub to pull a pint of Guinness | PA

She poured a perfect pint of Guinness for the locals, who in turn applauded her for her efforts and branded her an "expert".

"I'm not quite the expert, but my husband is," she joked.

The King, meanwhile, met with foodbank volunteers at The Pantry Foodbank in Donard Methodist Church, Newcastle.