A lip-reading expert has disclosed that King Charles told Queen Camilla "I'm in a right mess" during the Trooping the Colour carriage procession in central London – while his nieces, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, were absent, attending a wedding in Vienna.
Lip-reading expert Nicola Hickling, interpreting fragments from the live broadcast for Betfair Casino, said the King appeared to struggle with his coat. He told Camilla: "Could you get up? It's trapped, I need to pull it out so I am comfortable." Camilla stood to free his coat. Later, Charles added: "Come on, let's wave."
“King Charles told Camilla 'I'm in a right mess' during Trooping the Colour as Beatrice and Eugenie attended a Vienna wedding.”
The Royals presented a united front at the ceremony marking the monarch's official birthday. The Prince and Princess of Wales and their children, the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, and the Princess Royal with her husband Sir Timothy Laurence were present. Prince George, 12, Princess Charlotte, 11, and Prince Louis, eight, watched from the first-floor window of the Duke of Wellington's former office.
But away from Horse Guards Parade, Beatrice and Eugenie attended the wedding of the Schwarzenberg family at Saint Charles Church in the Austrian capital yesterday.
The King and Queen's conversation also included a reference to a meeting on Monday. Charles said: "I'm in a right mess, (mumbles) it's a mess." Camilla replied: "Oh, don't worry." Charles: "We shall wait and see them on Monday; it must be done."
The procession was led by the Band of the Household Cavalry, with two shire horses carrying solid silver kettle drums and musicians. It was the fourth Trooping ceremony of the King's reign.
While the King focused on the ceremonial duties, his nieces were celebrating at a society wedding in Vienna.