‘False alarm’ results in King and Queen being briefly pulled away from engagement in Jersey

During the King and Queen’s first trip to the Channel Islands since the monarch took the throne, they were suddenly pulled away from an event and taken into the Pomme d’Or hotel.

The King and Queen were briefly pulled away from an engagement in Jersey after a “false alarm”.

The Queen was said to be eating an ice cream at an ‘expo’ event when a member of the royal entourage said something to her in private.

She and the King were then ushered away and taken into the nearby Pomme d’Or hotel in the capital St Helier.

It is understood a member of the royals’ team raised a concern, but after an investigation, it turned out to be a false alarm.

After a full check was carried out, the visit resumed shortly afterwards.

The incident took place near the beginning of a two-day whistle-stop trip to the Channel Islands.

The King and Queen travelled to Jersey on Monday, before they are due to head onto Guernsey on Tuesday in their first visit to the two islands – which are crown dependencies – since the King acceded to the throne.

The trip will end the day before the planned opening of parliament on Wednesday – which is also the Queen’s 77th birthday.

It comes as the King continues some public duties despite his continued cancer treatment.

The Queen is said to have urged him to take it easy, but she told author Lee Child he “won’t slow down and won’t do what he’s told”.

The King is known as the Duke of Normandy on the Channel Islands – dating from when William the Conqueror’s son, Henry I, seized the Duchy of Normandy, including the islands, in 1106.

The Royal couple last visited the islands during the Diamond Jubilee year of 2012.

But ahead of this week’s visits, both Jersey and Guernsey have announced special public holidays to mark the royal visits on Monday and Tuesday, respectively.

On Guernsey, the Royals will attend a special sitting of the States of Deliberation, held outdoors on the St Peter Port seafront where islanders can watch the events.

When Queen Elizabeth II visited Jersey in 2001, she was presented with two dead ducks on a silver tray – part of an ancient tradition dating back to the Middle Ages when six seigneurs – lords of the manor – would pay homage to the sovereign as the Duke of Normandy with the mallards.