Royal Shrovetide Football: 'We almost dropped King Charles III'

Mark Harrison (left) said King Charles III, who was Prince of Wales at the time, was "a really nice bloke"

A man who lifted King Charles III at the start of a medieval football game has recalled how he almost dropped him.

King Charles, who was then the Prince of Wales, was invited to start the Royal Shrovetide Football match in the Derbyshire town of Ashbourne in 2003.

Those who start the game are traditionally lifted on to the shoulders of two men, known as "escorts".

It was at this point that things went wrong.

"It was a bit of a nightmare to be fair," said Mark Harrison, who lifted the King along with another man called Dougie Sowter.

'It was close'

He added: "As we both went down Dougie got his arm in first, grabbed his leg and he pulled his trench coat tightly so I couldn't get my arm in. So I literally had to grab him with both hands and struggled to get him up."

Fortunately there was a third person standing behind, who helped by grabbing his coat.

"It was a tight struggle let's say," Mr Harrison said.

"We managed to get him up in the end and it all went well but it was close."

Mr Harrison said lifting King Charles was "a bit of a nightmare"

With the King back safely on the ground, they then escorted him to a plinth where he threw the ball into the air, which is known as "turning up".

Mr Harrison has fond memories of that day on 5 March 2003.

"When he met us he was a really nice bloke, he was down to earth, he had lost all his airs and graces because he realised he was talking to the lads," he said.

The King threw the ball into a crowd of players, which is known as "turning up"

Mr Harrison had the same role in the Shrovetide Football game for about 20 or 30 years, after it was passed down from his father.

He has now passed on the honour to one of his three sons, but is still involved in the game by filming it every year.

"I retired because I'm too old," he said. "It's a young man's game."

King Charles III was not the first member of royalty asked to turn up the ball at Ashbourne's annual event.

The game has claimed royal status ever since his mother's uncle, later Edward VIII, did so in 1928. He reportedly suffered a bloody nose when he got in the way as play began.

The ball Edward threw was recently bought by a family in Ashbourne for £4,200, and they plan to display it at the town's heritage centre.