Not My King’ mob masses outside of Westminster Abbey: Anti-monarchist protesters rally in London armed with drums and posters saying ‘down with the crown’ – as Charles misses service during cancer treatment

A large crowd of ‘Not My King’ protesters have gathered outside Westminster Abbey this afternoon, carrying placards and beating drums.

The group held signs reading ‘down with the crown’ and waved flags reading ‘abolish the monarchy’ as they lined the street in central London.

Protesters could be heard chanting through megaphones as part of the noisy rally, while passers-by were forced to weave between protesters.

The scene comes as the Prince of Wales and Queen Camilla were joined by royals this afternoon at the abbey as King Charles III continues to recover from cancer.

While Charles was unable to attend the service in person, he thanked people for their ‘wonderfully kind and thoughtful well wishes’ over his cancer diagnosis in a video address to be played at Westminster Abbey.

In a royal first, he recorded a speech which will be played to the congregation, reflecting on the journey the Commonwealth has made since its inception in 1949.

Earlier today, the Princess of Wales admitted to editing a family portrait of herself sitting with Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, released on Mother’s Day.

The world’s biggest photo agencies decided to ‘kill’ the image after noticing signs of digital editing, including a missing part of Princess Charlotte’s sleeve and the wrong edge of her wrist and skirt, and the placement of Kate’s zip.

This morning the Princess of Wales issued an apology on social media.

She said: ‘Like many amateur photographers, I occasionally experiment with editing. I wanted to express my apologies for any confusion that the family photo we shared yesterday caused. I hope everyone who celebrated had a really happy Mother’s Day.’

She signed it ‘C’ – for Catherine.

Kate was later seen with Prince William leaving Windsor Castle as she attended a private appointment.

Meanwhile, her husband was seen sharing a laugh with Queen Camilla as the duo led the royals at today’s Commonwealth Day Service in King Charles’ absence.

The heir to the throne and the Queen were joined by royals this afternoon, including Princess Anne and the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh at Westminster Abbey.

As the King continues to recover from cancer, he recorded a special video message to mark the occasion, which was broadcast at the ceremony in central London.

In Charles’ absence, the family is led by the Queen, William and an extended list of royals, including the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, Princess Anne, the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester and the Duke of Kent.

The King’s video was filmed last month at Windsor Castle, one of the places where His Majesty has been recovering.

Referring to the Commonwealth’s origins in the network of countries that once formed the British Empire, he says: ‘The 75th anniversary of the Commonwealth is a moment to reflect on the remarkable journey our unique family of free and independent nations has made since 1949.

“Last year the Bahamas celebrated its 50th anniversary of independence, as Grenada has done this year and Papua New Guinea will next year.

‘Each of these milestones – and many others like them – represents the fulfillment of countless aspirations and the achievement of such remarkable potential.

“And the growth of the Commonwealth, with new members continuing to join our family of nations, clearly shows that while we may not all share a common history, we share aspirations for a better future – working together to build resilience and responding to global challenges.’

In what many will interpret as a veiled reference to colonialism and slavery, the king referred to ‘inequalities and injustices’ of the past ‘that still resonate today’ and urged member nations to continue to ‘find ways to heal’.

Referring to climate change, the loss of nature and the social and economic changes brought about by new technologies, he said: ‘Our diversity means that these challenges affect us all differently and that we experience their impacts in different ways.

“However, their seriousness is common to each one of us. All of this means that we must work together to understand each other’s perspectives, including the inequalities and injustices that still resonate to this day.

‘We must find ways to heal and support each other in pursuing solutions. I can’t say often enough that it is by coming together that we create the best chances to improve our world and the lives of people everywhere.’

The King concludes: ‘In recent weeks I have been deeply touched by your wonderfully kind and thoughtful good wishes for my health and in return can only continue to serve you, to the best of my ability, throughout the Commonwealth.’

The X account ‘@NoKingCharlie’ announced today’s protest: ‘No sanctuary for anyone…Happening now…Westminster Abbey…Nearest tube. Westminster #Commonwealth #KateGate #NotMyKing’

Last year, ‘Not My King’ protesters were arrested during the King’s coronation, including the Republic’s megaphone-wielding chief executive Graham Smith.

Group director Harry Stratton, who witnessed the arrest of his six colleagues, denied that any megaphones or lock chains were carried or seized and that they had not broken any rules laid down by the force in a series of meetings – which included non-mention. Prince Andrew and the sexual demands against him, which he denies.

Sir. Stratton accused the police of “deliberately picking them out”, while another campaigner claimed that straps with their placards had been “misinterpreted” as something that could be used to lock them down.

Scotland Yard later expressed ‘regret’ over the arrests of the protesters ahead of the coronation after being threatened with legal action when no charges were brought.