The King may be the head of the Commonwealth, but he has not always proved quite so masterful when it comes to keeping his composure.
While his late mother, Queen Elizabeth II, was renowned for maintaining a calm and dignified manner through the everyday frustrations of royal life, King Charles has developed a reputation for occasionally allowing his irritation to show in public.
From his memorable struggles with a series of leaking fountain pens to an off-camera jibe aimed at BBC royal correspondent Nicholas Witchell, the King has offered several revealing glimpses beyond the carefully controlled image of the monarchy.
His latest outburst occurred in Antigua, where Their Majesties were caught in a tropical downpour during an outdoor ceremony. As the rain intensified, royal aides hurried to the Queen’s side and led her away under an umbrella, leaving Charles exposed to the weather.
“Where’s the umbrella?” he demanded, raising his arms as the rain drenched his suit. The King later made a joke of the situation, quipping that he might soon be growing watercress in his trousers.
The episode revived familiar questions about Charles’s ability to remain composed. Despite his education and many years spent preparing for the throne, he has never entirely mastered the royal art of concealing his frustrations.
A similar moment occurred during a visit to Northern Ireland soon after his accession in 2022, when cameras recorded the King losing his patience during a signing ceremony at Hillsborough Castle near Belfast.
Initially, Charles appeared every inch the polished statesman as he signed a visitors’ book. But the cameras soon captured what became known as “pen-gate”, after a malfunctioning fountain pen pushed the monarch to the edge.
Earlier this week, King Charles was caught in a tropical downpour during an outdoor ceremony and gestured for an umbrella
During a signing ceremony in 2022, the King was filmed expressing his frustration with a faulty fountain pen
“Oh God, I hate this pen!” Charles exclaimed before standing abruptly and passing it to his wife, Camilla.
“Oh, look, it’s going everywhere,” she responded with her usual composure.
“Oh, I can’t bear this bloody thing… every stinking time,” the King muttered before walking out of the room.
The amusing footage quickly spread online, giving the public an unusually candid look at the person behind the royal title. Although many viewers found the incident entertaining, it also underscored the immense pressure of Charles’s transition from heir apparent to sovereign after the death of his mother.
For a brief moment, emotions he had spent a lifetime learning to control seemed to break through the formidable demands of the Crown.
Perhaps the most famous instance of Charles losing his temper, however, came during a photocall with his sons, Princes William and Harry, in Klosters, Switzerland, in 2005.
The then Prince of Wales was taking part in a family skiing holiday just eight days before his wedding to Camilla Parker Bowles when BBC royal correspondent Nicholas Witchell asked how he felt about the approaching nuptials.
“I’m glad you’ve heard of it,” Charles replied sarcastically.
But his next remarks, picked up by a small microphone attached to his clothing, created the real controversy.
“Bloody people. I can’t bear that man anyway. He’s so awful, he really is,” he muttered.
The comments became headline news, particularly because the Prince had reportedly been briefed on the questions in advance and could not easily argue that he had been caught off guard.
In 2005, a mini microphone recorded Charles insulting BBC royal correspondent Nicholas Witchell off-camera
His press secretary later apologised for the remarks, saying they reflected Charles’s irritation with the constant presence of photographers and the intense media attention surrounding his upcoming wedding.
Charles has long been described as a perfectionist, reportedly working late into the night to study briefings and prepare speeches. Given that working style, it is perhaps unsurprising that he can become frustrated when events refuse to follow the plan.
Born into the royal goldfish bowl as the eldest son of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip, Charles has lived under public scrutiny all his life, expected to project an impeccable image while keeping his personal emotions firmly controlled.
Some may feel that his occasional flashes of temper make him more relatable, revealing that beneath the carefully managed public persona is a man who can become just as exasperated by everyday mishaps as anyone else.
Others may believe such displays fall short of the dignity expected from a sovereign. Yet Charles may have had understandable grounds for impatience in Antigua. The King is receiving treatment for cancer, and standing in heavy rain during an official engagement was hardly an ideal situation.
Although many found “pen-gate” amusing, it also revealed the pressures of Charles’s remarkable transition from heir apparent to sovereign in 2022
His late father, Prince Philip, also became unwell after standing in the rain during the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations in 2012, although the circumstances were not the same.
Charles has also shown that he can move beyond old grievances. When Witchell retired from the BBC in 2024, the King sent him a message wishing him well in the next stage of his life—a gracious gesture towards a correspondent he had once criticised so publicly.
Charles may occasionally appear to be an unusually irritable monarch, but his inability to hide every moment of frustration provides a compelling glimpse of the man behind the Crown.
After all, even a King can have a bad day—although most people will never see their moments of temper become a viral talking point.
