Golden crown meets gold medal: King Charles greets Olympic hero Rhys McClenaghan in gymnast's hometown
King Charles may have a solid gold crown, but he wasn’t the only man in Newtownards today with an impressive bit of bling.
Olympic gold medallist Rhys McClenaghan met His Majesty as he toured Conway Square, showcasing the sporting glory the gymnast brought to his hometown.
With the centre of Newtownards full of jubilant thousands delighted to see the head of state, Rhys had only one thing he could compare to the day.
“I haven’t seen the town like this since I had a homecoming parade with my Olympic medal,” he smiled. “When you have everyone from Newtownards coming together for one event, it’s always a special day.
"It’s great to see so many happy faces, so many people in Newtownards smiling.”
In fact, Rhys told the News Letter, he mentioned to the king that they'd met before, when the gymnast competed in 2022’s Commonwealth Games – and hopes to meet His Majesty once more during this summer’s event.
“He wished me good luck, which is good to hear,” said Rhys.
The gymnast was present with recipients of a sporting grant from the local council, the Blair Mayne Bursary. Named after the Second World War hero and founding member of the SAS, it helps promising young people with their training – and Rhys himself benefitted from it as an up-and-comer.
“Meeting the king was really special, really positive for them,” he said.
Strangford MP Jim Shannon welcomed the royal couple, and felt today’s event reinforced the hundreds of years Newtownards has spent as a market town.
"The happy, cheering crowd made this a bright day indeed,” he added.