Prince Charles' Violent Welcome

12 November 2009

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Britain's Prince Charles' arrival in Quebec was greeted with violent clashes between anti-monarchy protestors and police.

The Prince of Wales and his wife Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, jetted in to Montreal on Tuesday (10.11.09) as part of their 11-day tour of the country.

But their visit sparked outrage from separatists who want Quebec to become a country in its own right.

Over 50 protestors - some wearing balaclavas and scarves disguising their faces - chanted and held placards outside the headquaters of a Montreal regiment which was due to welcome Prince Charles to a ceremony presenting new colours to the officers.

The riot police tried to calm the crowd outside the headquarters of The Black Watch of Canada Regiment but they continued to chant "majesty go home" and "majesty, majesty hey, hey - goodbye".

At one point angry protestors pelted the building with eggs - delaying the royal visit.

majesty go home and majesty, majesty hey, hey - goodbye

One man was dragged to the floor by four officers before being taken away as they tried to clear the streets before Prince Charles and Camilla arrived.

The anti-monarchists were eventually herded into a side road.

A spokesman for the nationalist group Reseau de Resistance said the prince was a "symbol of power given by the blood".

He added: "We don't want this kind of symbol in Quebec."

The royal couple eventually were escorted into the Black Watch hall where the prince presented new colours to the regiment, of which he is colonel-in-chief.

He said: "First of all I just wanted to say how very sorry my wife and I are to have kept you all waiting so long - I hear there's a little local disturbance."

A Clarence House spokesman said Charles and Camilla had been made to feel "very welcome throughout their visit to Canada".

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