King Charles and Queen Camilla are set to get some well-deserved time off with the summer holiday approaching. It should go without saying that the couple has had a stressful time of things since the passing of Queen Elizabeth II last September. Charles and Camilla have been kept busy by their royal duties, featuring in a number of significant events including their May 6 coronation, and “the second coronation” in Scotland.
Naturally, stress is often reflected by one’s mood. Over the past few months cameras have caught King Charles growing irritated with his wife on several occasions. As per reports, another such incident played out when Charles received the Crown of Scotland.
Speaking to the Daily Mirror, body language expert Judi James has explained exactly what happened – and how a hand-flick gesture made towards Camilla signaled something negative on Charles’ part.
On Wednesday, July 5, King Charles and Queen Camilla had their second “coronation” when they entered the St. Giles’ Cathedral in Edinburgh, Scotland. Though they weren’t crowned, per say, the king was presented with the Honors of Scotland – the crown, scepter, and the sword of state – which he received during the service. The Stone of Destiny, an important symbol of Scottish identity, was also in place for the historic celebration at the cathedral.
The ceremony in Scotland is commonly referred to as “the second coronation.” it should be stated that it’s more of a symbolic event, and not an official coronation in its own right.
“It’s not a coronation,” George Gross, a coronation expert at King’s College London, clarified for AP. “But it’s very symbolic in that Scotland has its own identity.”
King Charles received the Crown of Scotland
Reportedly, Charles has been very keen on cementing the ties throughout the United Kingdom since becoming king. Shortly after his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, passed away, he traveled throughout Scotland, Northern Ireland, and Wales before attending his mother’s funeral.
The event at St Giles’ Cathedral was similar to the official coronation in May, where historic traditions were infused with the more multicultural elements that reflect modern Britain. As AP reported, a choir sang a psalm in Gaelic, and passages of the New Testament were read in Scots, honoring the two historical languages of Scotland. Moreover, non-christian leaders prayed and offered a message of support to King Charles.
King Charles was presented with the legendary Crown of Scotland at St. Giles’ Cathedral, Edinburgh. It’s one of Europe’s oldest surviving crowns and the oldest in Britain, having been made by Scotland’s royal goldsmith, John Mosman, in 1540. As per reports, the materials used to make the crown were recycled from an even older crown.
The crown was initially made for James V, who first wore it at the coronation of Queen Mary of Guise in 1540. Mary Queen of Scots was the first to be crowned using the new crown and scepter in 1543.
“By the symbol of this crown, we pledge our loyalty, entrusting you to reign as our king in the service of all your people,” Alexander Douglas-Hamilton, the Duke of Hamilton and Brandon and Scotland’s most senior peer, said as he presented Charles with the crown on a cushion.
“In receiving this crown, I so promise by God’s help,” Charles replied.
King Charles hand-gesture shows ‘impatience’
After the ceremony at St. Giles Cathedral, a 21-gun salute was fired from Edinburgh Castle (where the Crown of Scotland usually is on display). A procession back to the Palace of Holyroodhouse, the king’s official Scottish residence, was then held, before the Red Arrows, the Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team, performed a ceremonial flypast to end the celebrations.
Yet Charles’ receiving of the Crown of Scotland wasn’t the only element of the ceremony that made media headlines. Just as before the coronation in May, King Charles appeared to grow very frustrated at one point when Camilla didn’t receive help getting out of their car. Not only that, but according to body expert Judy James, the king made a hand-flicking movement that betrayed his mood.
Speaking to the Mirror, James stated that upon arriving at the St Giles’ Cathedral, the king seemed “impatient.”
“This appeared to be a more relaxed ceremony for Charles, who shared the spotlight almost evenly with Camilla, William, and Kate, meaning his body language projected less of the ongoing signals of tension and anxiety than at his actual coronation, and he wore a warm, beaming smile most of the time,” Judi James said.
“He did appear to fuss and fret over Camilla this time, though, and when he did drop the smile and adopt a wary frown with his signature steepled brows, it was when he was turning back in concern to see her get safely in and out of their car or to move to her seat, which was when he also used some of the rapid hand-flicking gestures that tend to signal royal impatience.”
Cameras have caught King Charles irritated several times
The body language expert concluded: “His concern seemed justified as Camilla did appear nervous. Unlike Kate, she lacked the ability to perform a pose of stillness during the service, and her constant patting of her hair or the white plume of her hat were self-checking rituals that hinted at ongoing inner anxiety.”
Of course, this isn’t the first time King Charles has come across as impatient or flustered. In December, around two months after the queen’s death, Charles lost his temper with Camilla in plain view of the cameras while visiting the Welsh town of Wrexham.
They greeted the public in the city center, and after Charles had greeted many of them, it was time for he and Camilla to move on.
Yet it seemed as though Camilla had fallen behind, perhaps preoccupied with talking with someone else further down the street. This left Charles visibly vexed, and he was heard telling aides to go and get his wife.
“Can we try and get her back again? Please, we need to go. I was trying to wait for her, but she goes on,” Charles said, clearly irritated.
Speaking with the Daily Express, Judi James had some harsh things to say about Charles’s behavior at the time. According to her, Charles displayed his temper and a degree of disloyalty towards Camilla.
“There are no signs of good humour here, just a man pleading to his entourage to get him out of his situation and on to his next booking,” she said.
“Ungracious and unkind”
“I know people are creating empathetic links by saying this is a common theme between husbands and wives and that it makes Charles seem more human, but his wife is the new Queen and he is making a very public scene about her that lowers her status.”
James stated that while it might be “understandable” that Charles has been under a lot of pressure – especially considering that he’s trying to live up to his mother’s way of doing the job “without complaining or showing any signs of disloyalty to her nearest and dearest” – he is being “ungracious and unkind” to his key supporter, Camilla.
“Charles really should have popped back to speak to her in person rather than sounding irritated to other people, or maybe grinned fondly to register ongoing affection,” James concluded.
Yet though King Charles temper has been touched upon several times in the media of late, it’s perhaps not the fairest reflection of his general demeanor. The King can often be seen smiling, laughing, and sometimes even makes jokes when interacting with members of the public.
King Charles memorably lost his cool in the process of signing a guest book in Northern Ireland. When his pen began to leak, the king was left visibly frustrated.
“Oh God, I hate this pen,” Charles told Camilla. “Can’t bear this bloody thing.”
When he walked away, the king added, “[It’s] what they do every stinking time.”
King Charles “acts as if his time is short”
According to Valentine Low, royal correspondent at The Times and author of the royal book Courtiers, Charles is simply putting too much pressure on himself.
“He can vent his fury when things go wrong with his schedule or when he feels that his instructions have not been obeyed, only to calm down moments later when he is assured that his instructions have been followed to the letter after all,” Low told Newsweek.
“‘Oh, thank you so much,’ he will say, the very image of gratitude and contrition. It is a rollercoaster ride, and those close to the king are used to it.”
“However, his impatience, according to some close to him, has a deeper cause,” Low wrote in Courtiers. “He acts as if his time is short, which leads to a sense of urgency as if he has only got a few years to get through everything he wants to achieve.
“It goes back to the old observation about Charles: he puts pressure on others because he puts pressure on himself. But the king knows all too well, from his years of frustration as Prince of Wales, that change can be slow to come about.”
Now, I think we can all agree that we benefit from days off in the summer, and the Royal Family are no different. Queen Elizabeth II had the same procedure every year, heading to Balmoral around July 20 and staying at the Craigowan Lodge estate until August 1.
King Charles and Queen Camilla to change summer tradition
King Charles and Queen Camilla usually spend their summer holiday at Birkhall. They have celebrated their wedding anniversary – and spent their honeymoon – at the Scottish estate every year. However, reports suggest that Charles will change their summer plans and instead follow in his mother’s footsteps.
Sources told Vanity Fair that Charles plans to gift Birkhall to Prince William and Kate Middleton – he and Camilla will instead spent their holiday at Balmoral.
“Both Charles and Camilla love Birkhall, for them, it is home, and it would have been the queen’s preference to be at Birkhall because it is quiet and a proper getaway, but the king is keen to follow in his mother’s footsteps, by taking up residence at Balmoral,” the source said.
“That was Queen Elizabeth’s favorite home and where she loved entertaining every summer. Charles and Camilla are preparing for a busy summer with lots of visits from family.”
