King Charles Had to Give Queen Camilla an Order After She Got ‘Carried Away’ During Commonwealth Day Service
Several members of the royal family gathered for the Commonwealth Day Service at Westminster Abbey on March 9. King Charles and Queen Camilla, as well as Prince William and the Princess of Wales (formerly known as Kate Middleton), were in attendance for the annual service that celebrates the 56 nations that make up the Commonwealth.
Video clips from inside the Abbey showed the family greeting each other and exchanging pleasantries. Then at one point, the king was seen touching Camilla to get her attention before giving a three-word order. According to The Mirror‘s lip reader, Jeremy Freeman, Charles told Camilla, “Quick, over here,” because she wouldn’t stop doing something.
Here’s what that was and what someone who used to work for the royal couple said about it. Plus, which two royals skipped the event for the second year in a row and why.
King Charles had to get Queen Camilla ready after she got ‘carried away’
Grant Harrold was King Charles’ butler for seven years. During his time working for the monarch and Queen Camilla, Harrold’s duties included those of valet, housekeeper, house manager, and driver. He also looked after Prince Harry, Prince William, and Kate whenever they stayed at Highgrove House.
Speaking on behalf of Casino Hawks, Harrold told Showbiz Cheat Sheet, “We see Charles hurrying Camilla up and telling her to get into her position, which is quite common. Camilla likes to chit-chat and knows a lot of people, and she can get a bit carried away.
“She would never want to be rude and genuinely wants to greet people. But at events like this, the king is very aware of the time and knows they need to stay right on time. You often see him guiding her back to their place, which I think is really nice — and quite relatable for most couples!”
This isn’t the first time it’s been said that the queen gets chatty when she’s greeting people and Charles has to usher her along. One video went viral a few years back showing the king asking his staffers to retrieve his wife because “she goes on.”
Why 2 working royals did not attend the Commonwealth Day service
Two working royals who were noticeably absent from the service were Prince Edward and the Duchess of Edinburgh (formerly known as Sophie, Countess of Wessex), as they have been in Italy at the Milan-Cortina Winter Paralympics to support Team GB. The couple also skipped the event last year in favor of some other engagements.
Harrold noted that Queen Elizabeth wouldn’t have approved that, but King Charles is fine with it, explaining, “The late queen was very strict with Commonwealth Day, and there was very much a three-line whip on that. But it seems that King Charles is a bit more relaxed on that front, and is happy for his family to prioritize their other work.
“It would obviously be different if it was for a private holiday or something, but he’s happy for them to put other key royal commitments and duties first.”
