It was just days into the reign of King Charles III and Queen Camilla. It was planned to be a normal engagement at Hillsborough Castle in Northern Ireland. But it ended up being an engagement with a moment that would go viral – King Charles vs the pen.
In an instantly viral video, the monarch admitted he wrote the wrong date on a document. It was then, while passing the pen to his wife he realised it was leaking.
“Oh, God I hate...” was said by His Majesty before his wife interrupted him to point out the ink was going everywhere. Another pen was handed off to Camilla while Charles continued his frustration in the background:
“Can’t bear this bloody thing…every stinking time.”
When the couple is crowned on 6 May, it will be time once again for His Majesty to face the pen.
During the coronation, The King will sign the Coronation Oath. During this, The King is to answer three questions from the Archbishop of Canterbury regarding his commitment to the people and the countries of which he is sovereign. The King will then sign an oath pledging his service and rule according to the law. This is the only time a monarch signs their written obligation to the people.
The oath happens relatively close to the beginning of the service. After the sovereign is brought into Westminster Abbey and presented to the church, the Archbishop will administer the oath. Following the oath, a Bible is presented before the sovereign is anointed.
There is no doubt the team planning the coronation has a hefty to-do list, but someone might want to double-check the pen used for the oath. Wiping ink off of his hand is probably not on His Majesty’s agenda for the coronation.
