Being king has seemingly been a bit stressful for King Charles III. He was filmed visiting the royal residence of Hillsborough Castle in Northern Ireland on Sept. 13, and during his signing ceremony, he let his rage be known after a pen exploded on him. At first, the eldest son of the late Queen Elizabeth II, 73, wrote down the wrong date, which his wife, Queen Consort Camilla, 75, told him he had also done earlier in the day. Then, when he passed the pen to Camilla, it erupted and started leaking ink. “Oh, God, I hate this,” he said. Camilla replied with a worried tone in her voice. “Oh look, it’s going everywhere,” she observed.
"I can't bear this bloody thing!": King Charles' signing ceremony at Northern Ireland's Hillsborough Castle made one thing clear – even royalty can't escape the frustration of an inadequate pen.
— CBS News (@CBSNews) September 13, 2022
As Camilla was handed a new pen, King Charles could be heard complaining in the background. “I can’t bear this bloody thing!” he exclaimed, with an emphasis on the “bloody”. He added, “What they do, every stinking time!” He then exited the room.
The outburst occurred just a few days after King Charles seemed upset again just before he signed the Accession Proclamation, which officially marked his ascension to the throne, on Saturday, Sept. 10. As he sat down to sign the paper in a video seen here, he waved his hand around, gesturing for someone to move two black objects off his desk. Camilla was dressed in black for the event and looked worried as workers hastily moved the items away.
On Monday, Sept. 12, King Charles and Camilla sat down on their thrones for the first time at Westminster Hall in London and greeted 900 members of the legislative body, as well as members of the House of Lords. After he was offered condolences for the loss of his mother, who died on Sept. 8 at the age of 96, Charles addressed the crowd and praised her. “I cannot help but feel the weight of history, which surrounds us,” he solemnly stated. “While very young, her late Majesty pledged herself to serve her country and her people and to maintain the precious principles of constitutional government which lie at the heart of our nation. This vow, she kept with unsurpassed devotion. She set an example of selfless duty which with God’s help and your counsels I am resolved faithfully to follow.”
Charles shared similar praises during his first speech after the death of Queen Elizabeth. “Your love and devotion to our family and to the family of nations you have served so diligently all these years. May flights of angels sing thee to thy rest,” he sweetly stated. Hopefully, he can follow in his mother’s footsteps with less trouble signing official documents.
