King Charles's most memorable moments give us an extra insight into the witty and endearing personality of His Majesty.
During his years as Prince of Wales and then as King, we've seen Charles participate in cultural global visits, try his hand at drumming in Sierra Leone, meet iconic girl bands and become a mixologist for the day, amongst other things.
So, here are the 32 most memorable moments from King Charles III from across the decades...
32 of King Charles' most memorable moments
1. His 2023 coronation ceremony
This may just be the most memorable moment of King Charles's life to date, the day he became King and Camilla became Queen. Following the passing of Queen Elizabeth II, Charles acceded to the throne on 8 September 2022. However, due to preparations, grieving and various procedures, his official coronation took place much later on 6 May 2023.
2. His speech to the nation after the Queen's passing
Following the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Charles delivered a sombre and heartfelt first speech paying homage to the Queen. His speech was broadcast to millions of viewers and was also displayed to mourners at a special memorial service at St Paul’s Cathedral.
3. When he met the Spice Girls in 1997
At the UK gala celebrating the 21st anniversary of The Prince’s Trust in 1997, the then-Prince of Wales met the biggest girl group at the time, The Spice Girls. In the now infamous encounter, "Ginger Spice" Geri Horner (formerly Halliwell) and "Scary Spice" Mel B planted a kiss on his cheek.
4. The kissing Koalas
When visiting Australia in 2012 for their six-day tour which marked the Diamond Jubilee, the then-Prince Charles and Duchess Camilla went to the Government House in Adelaide and met two rescued Koalas. This resulted in an adorable photo of the couple holding two very cute smooching koalas.
5. Getting startled by an eagle at the Sandringham Flower Show
We often see the royals showcase their sense of humour, and this rather silly incident with King Charles and an eagle is certainly one of those times. At the 2013 Sandringham Flower Show, the then-Prince held a 10lb eagle, which gave him quite the start when the bird of prey spread its wings to balance itself. As you can see from the photograph, Camilla got quite the shock too!
6. When he was given two teaspoons in his tea
It’s no secret that King Charles loves a good laugh and during his visit to 2016 visit to the Prince’s Trust Center in 2016 he got just that. When talking with staff and enjoying a cup of tea, the then-Prince realised he’d been given two teaspoons in his mug and found it rather amusing!
7. His biker moment
For the 500th anniversary of the Royal Mail service, the then-Prince Charles was more than happy to sit on an old-fashioned motorbike that had been used to deliver telegraph messages. Surrounded by an adoring crowd, it looked as though the Prince was quite enjoying himself on the vintage vehicle.
8. His handmade balloon hat
When visiting a Jewish school in 2017, Prince Charles was more than happy to get stuck in and not only make a balloon hat himself but also wear it. He sat with the children in a circle whilst they all learned how to make their balloon hat and the now-King proudly wore his creation.
9. His go as a weatherman
Another brilliant example of King Charles's humour and wit, the royal presented the weather forecast for BBC Scotland in 2012. The Prince executed the report perfectly and got several laughs from the studio after joking about the drizzly weather and saying “Thank god it isn’t a bank holiday!”
10. When drank champagne from his polo trophy
What’s better than celebrating a polo victory with a cold glass of champagne? Well, drinking it from your bowl-like trophy of course! Yes, when the then-Prince Charles won his trophy match at the Hurlingham Club in March of 1999 in Buenos Aires, Argentina, he was in a celebratory mood and drank the fizz out of the silver trophy.
11. His comedy sketch with Stephen Fry and Roger Moore
At the Prince’s Trust Comedy Gala at the Lyceum Theatre in 1998, the then-Prince Charles took part in a beloved comedy sketch featuring Roger Moore and Stephen Fry. The sketch saw a series of celebrity lookalikes bringing food to Fry and Moore, however, the real Charles eventually came out dressed as a waiter and asked if the food was to their satisfaction. Moore finished the sketch by saying, “I know who he’s supposed to be, but he needs to work on the voice a little.”
12. His wardrobe malfunction in Jamaica
No, that's not a permanent marker on the photo - just a minor fashion mishap. On his 2000 visit to Jamaica, Charles met the wife of the late Bob Marley, Rita Marley. While in Kingston, he was given a Rasta cap which he accidentally put on his head backwards covering his face. Both he and the crowd around him thought it very amusing.
13. His onstage joke about his singing
During the 2006 Princes Trust concert, the then-Prince Charles whilst on stage with Duchess Camilla, Prince William and Prince Harry made a well-received joke about how he couldn’t sing but at least he could stand up there holding a glow stick. He said, “I know my limitations. But at least I have my glow stick.”
14. When he met Ozzy Osbourne
In a shot taken in 2006 at an event marking the Prince’s Trust's 30th birthday, King Charles is seen laughing his head off with Black Sabbath frontman Ozzy Osbourne, as well as singer Chico. The King and Ozzy reportedly get along very well with the King sending Ozzy a bottle of scotch after his infamous quad biking incident.
15. His Diamond Jubilee speech
One of the biggest events of the century for the British public was Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee which marked her 70th anniversary of being on the throne. Charles’s speech was of course incredibly moving however what made this a memorable event was how he began his speech - with an endearing “Your Majesty, mummy.”
16. When he voiced a Dalek
During a visit to the BBC’s Cardiff studios in 2013, Charles lent his voice to one of the iconic Doctor Who monsters, the Daleks. He used a microphone which had been plugged into a voice modulation device and said the Dalek’s famous catchphrase, “Exterminate!” He and Camilla then went on a tour of the studio with the then-Doctor Matt Smith and co-star Jenna Coleman.
17. The passing on of his 'buff' credentials to Prince William
In 2014, Prince William formally took over King Charles’s position as the President of the British Sub-Aqua Club. During the speech at the ceremony marking the occasion, the chairman of the club described Charles as “rather buff” in a swimwear shot of him from the 70s. The then-Prince Charles joked that Prince William was displaying his own “buff credentials” as the new president, which got a big laugh from the audience as well as the prince himself.
18. His Royal Shakespeare Company comedy sketch
Prince Charles was surrounded by stars when he took part in a comedy sketch with the Royal Shakespeare Company. It was at an event to mark the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare's death and the sketch was the all-star lineup debating over how best to deliver Hamlet’s iconic line, “To be or not to be, that is the question.” Charles had the last go, emphasizing the final word.
19. His drum playing in Sierra Leone
Visiting Freetown, the capital of Sierra Leone in 2006, Prince Charles watched a brief performance by the National Dance Group of Sierra Leone which featured drummers in national colours and dancers in white and gold dresses. The then-Prince was offered a pair of drumsticks and couldn’t refuse, he joined the group with a smile on his face.
20. He and Camilla’s giggling over whisky
A wedding gift given to them at the 2005 Mey Games at Queens Park in Caithness, Scotland, the ceremonial drinking bowl is called a Quaich. The two drank whisky from the receptacle and got the giggles.
21. When he met James Bond
Known as a long-time fan of not only the iconic James Bond franchise but more specifically of the Aston Martin cars the character is known for driving, Prince Charles looked more than thrilled when visiting the set in 2019. The King-to-be met Daniel Craig, Naomie Harris and Ralph Fiennes whilst he toured the studios and got a close-up look at the cars.
22. His White House visit
During his and Princess Anne’s American visit in 1970, Prince Charles had a private meeting with Richard Nixon who was President of the United States at that time. The talk, which took place at the White House, reportedly went on longer than expected and the pair spoke for one hour and twenty minutes. The royal visit was concluded with a party on the final day which raged on until 2am.
23. When he met Barbra Streisand
They first met on the set of her film Funny Girl in 1974 after it was reported that Charles turned up at the Columbia Studios in Hollywood in the hopes of seeing Streisand. They shared a coffee and rumours quickly spread that the two didn’t just share a friendship but something more, as she became known as the a-list singer that King Charles once had a crush on before marrying Diana.
24. His photo in front of Edzna
A rather casual pose for the royal, with shades on and the ‘here’s looking at you kid’ gesture, the-then Prince Charles certainly looked to be enjoying himself while visiting the Acropolis at the Edzna Archaeological site in Campeche, Mexico. He took the suave photo during his and Duchess Camilla’s tour of Mexico and Columbia in 2014.
25. When Charles and Camilla met Meryl Streep
In 2007, during a trip to the US East Coast, Prince Charles received the Global Environment Citizen Award from the Center for Health and the Global Environment at Harvard Medical School. The event was truly star-studded with Duchess Camilla meeting Meryl Streep and complimenting her performance in The Devil Wears Prada.
26. His beloved pet dogs
King Charles certainly takes after his mother's love of dogs, with Queen Elizabeth II having over 30 dog companions over her reign. Charles and Camilla have two adorable Jack Russell Terrier crosses, their names are Beth and Bluebell, Camilla has adopted both dogs from Battersea Dogs and Cats Home, a charity she works closely with.
27. When he walked Meghan down the aisle
Unfortunately, Meghan's father couldn’t be present at Harry and Meghan's Royal Wedding so Harry’s father the then-Prince Charles stood up to the plate and walked his soon-to-be daughter-in-law down the aisle. This was a truly moving moment and will certainly be remembered for years to come just like the admirable nickname that the King gave Meghan Markle.
28. Cocktail hour with Charles and Camilla
During his 2019 visit to Cuba, the Prince and Duchess found themselves creating the iconic Mojito cocktail. However, the bar staff made them work for it, with the Prince helping press sugar cane for the drink. Before leaving the event in Havana, the pair were given a lesson in how to make a mojito by Diana Figueroa who ran the bar at the restaurant Jibaro.
29. His day at the market
Even during a cold and gloomy day, Charles and Camilla were all smiles at their visit to Leicester market in 2020. The market is the largest outdoor covered market in Europe and offers a large variety of products, the then-Prince was particularly impressed with the array of fresh fruit and vegetables.
30. That time he was on Coronation Street
You may have forgotten about this impressive cameo but Prince Charles once made an iconic appearance on the beloved soap opera Coronation Street on December 8th 2000. The royal spoke with several of the actors from the show and had a small storyline with a character regarding the protests of the fictional council’s attempts to dig up the famous Coronation Street cobbles.
31. His souvenir shopping at the Whitstable Oyster Festival
This was one of the then-Prince's first royal engagements after he became a grandfather for the first time following the birth of Prince George. The Kent-based oyster festival offers samples of local seafood and the Prince also met with fishermen and local business owners from the seaside town. As a new grandad, he received many a gift to take home for his grandson, one being this incredibly cute souvenir t-shirt.
32. Joining Queen Elizabeth II for the state opening of Parliament
On the 10th of May 2022, Charles the then-Prince of Wales acted on behalf of his mother Queen Elizabeth II to open the third session of the 58th Parliament. Also joining them was Prince William. This was the first-ever State Opening where two Counsellors of State acted on behalf of the Monarch. The Queen was unable to attend due to illness.
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