King Charles in Doncaster: Reporter Darren Burke's inside view of historic day

In a lengthy journalistic career, I’ve been to all sorts of weird and wonderful places where the public aren’t allowed in, met celebrities, politicians, sports stars and taken on some pretty unusal jobs.

Whether it be going to the top of Emley Moor TV mast, being pushed round the Asda branch of Carcroft in a trolley dressed as Father Christmas (don’t ask), finding out what happens inside a swingers’ club, conducting a rather risque interview with TV comedian Keith Lemon, being ripped to shreds in an feisty encounter with former Tory MP Anne Widdecombe, learning how to carve a turkey or crashing through a tree in a hot air balloon, I’ve done pretty much everything this job has to offer.

And that’s only scratching the surface of some of the things I’ve done in nearly 30 odd years at the Free Press.

Strangely, covering a Royal visit wasn’t one of them. Until this week.

I don’t count the rather bizarre afternoon I spent outside a factory in Thorne in the mid 90s awaiting Princess Margaret to arrive.

Back in those days, following the Royals was strictly controlled and I had what was called a fixed point pass, which meant I couldn’t move from my position waiting for the Royal party to arrive.

So I basically saw a car pull up, saw Princess Margaret give me a steely glare and then got pretty much the same an hour later when she came out and acknowledged your freezing reporter once more.

Thankfully, the visit of King Charles and Queen Consort Camilla was a very different affair.

With only a week between the announcement the Royal couple were coming to it actually happening, things moved fast.

Press passes were organised, rules and regulations laid out and so it was on Wednesday lunchtime, I found myself in a queue down the middle of Priory Place, rubbing shoulders with the likes of Ed Miliband (while Paul Chuckle of the Chuckle Brothers was in the crowds outside) awaiting security clearance and police checks.

I’m no stranger to the Mansion House. It’s where council meetings used to be held and I’ve been to many functions over the years there. It’s beauty and grandeur never fails to amaze. If you've never been, please try and check it out. It really is the jewel in Doncaster’s crown.

Within seconds of my privileged position on the other side of the barrier, my phone started pinging from friends in the crowd who’d spotted me in what can only be described as a very distinctive pale cream suit (think the Man From Del Monte, Martin Bell, Randall and Hopkirk Deceased or the Liverpool FC Spice Boys on the pitch at Wembley and you're pretty much there).

Timing my walk down the steps of the Mansion House just as an ITV camera man whipped up the flag-waving crowd into a frenzy made me feel like Tom Cruise arriving at a film premiere.

"They here for you?,” joked one chuckling policeman as I looked out across the sea of faces squashed in front of the NatWest bank in front of me. Apparently I even ended up on the local evening news.

But I digress.

They and I were only here for one thing, the visit of King Charles to Doncaster – the first time a monarch has set foot in Doncaster since 1994. He’d been here before of course as Prince of Wales, visiting both Bentley and Toll Bar as well as Fishlake when those villages were deluged by floods.

Whether you’re a monarchist or not, we’ve all grown up seeing the faces of the Royal family in the newspapers and on television.

It’s a corny cliche, but it does feel like you know them. So when the King stepped out of his gleaming Royal car in brown overcoat, it didn't feel like we’d never encountered each other before.

The media aren’t allowed to speak to or question Royals on such occasions and I probably broke Royal protocol on one or two moments as I strove to get closer to Charles to get pictures and videos for the Free Press website.

Bustling between aides, security guards and the Buckingham Palace PR team, we were ushered from room to room, spot to spot, always a few paces ahead to get ready for the next photo or filming opportunity.

To say it was hectic was an understatement. I spent the afternoon frantically messaging back photos and videos to the newsdesk to ensure we could get coverage in this week’s edition of the Free Press. The deadline was pushed back specially for our ‘Ey up Your Majesty’ front cover.

Now the dust has settled and I’ve spent the best part of two whole days writing about the King’s visit, it's nice to be able to reflect on what was a momentous and historic day for Doncaster.

Whatever your views on Royalty, politics, city status and whatever else people are getting stroppy about on Facebook these days, there’s no denying a Royal visit put Doncaster in the headlines for all the right reasons.

Pity poor York where the gloss on their momentous day was taken off by egg-throwing.

It was wonderful to be able to stand on the steps of the Mansion House and look out at hundreds of people, smiling, cheering and waving their little Union flags.

People who yelled ‘God Save The King!” and ‘welcome to Doncaster your majesty.’

People who’d brought their dogs.

People who donned plastic crowns.

People who’d spent the morning queuing in the cold and jostling for position.

People overjoyed they managed to shake hands with the King and Queen Consort.

This was a day that brought the people of Doncaster together and one which will live long in the memory.

And it was an honour and a privilege to be able to cover it for you.

Sorry if any of your photos have been ruined by a beardy bloke in a beige suit.