It’s been over a year since the coronation of King Charles III, but a new video just emerged showing some last minute drama from behind the scenes of the event. According to an analysis by Sky News, the clip shows the king having a “tantrum” on his big day because his son and heir Prince William was about 90 seconds late in arriving. A lip reader has even analyzed the clip to approximate what the king was saying in the moment.
Prince William, Kate Middleton and their children were reportedly scheduled to arrive at Westminster Abbey before the king on the day of thecoronation – May 6, 2023. For some reason, the king ended up getting to the venue first in a carriage with Queen Camilla, and he looks visibly upset in the video circulating now. Details on this incident were actually covered in Charles III: The Inside Story by author Robert Hardman.
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“We can never be on time,” reads the lip-reader’s interpretation of the king’s “tantrum.” “Yes, I’m – this is negative. There’s always something… This is boring.”
Hardman estimates that the Prince and Princess of Wales were just 90 seconds late, but noted that the king’s carriage was actually a bit early to the venue as well. The result was the new monarch awkwardly waiting in his coach for six minutes. It’s possible that Prince William and his family filmed their social media video during this time, which frustrated the king.
Another factor on this historic day was the balance of crowds and police. Officials anticipated some protests in London – perhaps from those that want to abolish the monarchy, or supporters of other causes who hoped to capitalize on the visibility of the day. City officials deployed 11,500 police officers in the hope of controlling the crowd – the largest police operation in the history of London.
Ultimately, the king regained his temper and the coronation continued without any major hiccups. However, the very fact that this video is resurfacing now shows the scrutiny on the royals during this event, and the extent to which it can impact the rest of a reign. The king has been hit with much bigger challenges since then, and public perception of him has shifted considerably.
