King Charles Almost Made a Slip-Up at the Year's Biggest Royal Event — But William Swooped In (Watch)
While standing on the palace balcony, King Charles nearly made a major protocol blunder, but Prince William was quick to step in and save the day.
On June 13, King Charles and Queen Camilla gathered on the Buckingham Palace balcony for the spectacular Royal Air Force flypast, marking the historic celebration of the King's official birthday. The monarch was surrounded by senior members of the royal family, including Prince William, Princess Kate, the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, the Duke of Kent, and the royal children, keeping alive a tradition spanning more than 260 years. Amidst the pageantry, eagle-eyed observers noticed a near miss when the King almost slipped up on royal protocol. Fortunately, William was there to help him out of it and keep the ceremony on track.
Following the military ceremony at Horse Guards Parade and the equestrian procession back to Buckingham Palace, the royal family stepped out on the palace balcony to watch the Royal Air Force flypast. With the world’s media focused on the monarch, every movement was under close scrutiny—including a brief near-miss. While the King and Queen enthusiastically waved to the thousands of well-wishers lining The Mall and prepared to retreat indoors, Prince William intervened. William quietly caught his father's attention and seemed to exchange a few words, prompting an unexpected pause from the king.
The King and Queen presumably thought that the celebration was over and were about to leave midway, but William seemed to have saved the misstep. Moments later, after the conversation, Charles and Camilla turned back toward the crowd just as the national anthem, "God Save the King," began to play. The royal family immediately stood at attention for the tribute, creating one of the day's most memorable scenes. The entire event was live-telecast by People, and the King's fumble seems to have made the cut. Watch the video here!
Following the national anthem, the King offered one final wave to the cheering crowds before retreating inside, with Prince William and his family following close behind. This balcony exit marked the conclusion of this year’s Trooping the Colour, a grand tradition dating back to the 1700s. The historic event serves as a spectacular national celebration to honor the official birthday of the British monarch.
Sharing the photos from the event on social media, the royals thanked everyone for attending the celebration. "With thanks to the 1,400 members of the Armed Forces who took part in today’s Trooping the Colour, and with special mention to the Grenadier Guards who trooped their new Colour. We salute you 🫡," captioned the Palace on the post.
