King Charles is known for his rather famous temper – two words: fountain pen – and it was on display on Monday at a royal engagement in Jersey when he and Queen Camilla were caught in a torrential rainstorm. In a video posted on The Independentthe weather was indeed unpleasant when Charles and Camilla stepped outside with umbrellas in hand. Camilla was trying to hold her umbrella and put on her coat at the same time, and the King “appeared to rush to an aide to help the struggling Queen Camilla as she attempted to put on her coat in the pouring rain,” The Independent reported. The king initially tried to help his wife, “before he appeared visibly annoyed and gestured to the staff for help,” the newspaper continues.
What would a moment like this be without asking lip readers and body language experts for advice? According to lip reader Jacqui Press, who The Daily Post—Charles said to Camilla, “Move your arm through the back,” and when that didn’t work, the aide-de-camp was called, with the king demanding fiercely, “Come and help her!”
Body language expert Judi James said The mirror that Camilla may have “a similar relationship with raincoats as Charles does with leaky pens.” (IYKYK.)
James added: “With only one arm in the sleeve, Charles turned to help, but only after setting his jaw in a gesture of frustration and growing irritation. His impatient tugging on her sleeve only made matters worse and, as with his fits with the pens, he seemed to turn irritably to ask someone from the staff to do the job instead. Poor Camilla is eventually hoisted into the coat, but it takes a while before she can regain her composure and resume her royal role.”
This probably has nothing to do with it, but Camilla “actually injured herself during the visit to Jersey,” The mirror reports, adding that the Queen “was wearing a bandage on her right ankle. The bandage on her ankle for a sprain was visible” during a royal engagement that was part of the couple’s two-day visit to the Channel Islands. The visit was eventful – in addition to Camilla’s obviously sprained ankle and coat problems in the pouring rain, she had to leave an appointment quickly “when a member of her security team rushed over and informed her that the visit was being cancelled,” The Daily Post reports.
The security issue “turned out to be a false alarm,” and Charles and Camilla “were soon able to proceed with their planned engagement program,” the outlet added. Buckingham Palace did not officially comment on the incident, but it is said The Daily Postthat there is a “small problem that gives cause for concern”.
The couple are now back in London to attend the State Opening of Parliament today, which happens to be Camilla’s 77th birthday.