- While King Charles was touring the Grimsby Town Football Club, a fan accidentally called him “darling.”
- The British monarch laughed off the breach in royal protocol.
- The British monarch must always be addressed in a formal manner, according to royal protocol.
King Charles had a heartwarming reaction to a slip in royal protocol. The British monarch visited Grimsby, Lincolnshire, on June 11. During his trip, he was greeted with a very un-royal nickname by a well-wisher.
While he was touring the Grimsby Town Football Club to interact with the members of Our Future, a community group, staff member of the club, Francine Orr accidentally called Charles “darling” instead of “Your Majesty”, Hello! Magazine reported.
The 77-year-old took the mistake in stride and jokingly stated, “I like being called darling.”
In an interview, Orr spoke up on how she accidentally called the monarch “darling”. She said that before King Charles' visit, the club was briefed about royal protocol.
“We were briefed on what we should say and what we shouldn't say, how we should bow and how we should curtsy,” she said.
When it was her chance to meet Charles, she shook his hand and said, “All right, darling — oh no, I'm so sorry, Your Majesty.”
Orr said that Charles laughed off the mistake and replied, “That's okay,” before adding, “I like being called darling.”
She praised Charles' visit to Grimsby, describing him as a “lovely man” and “so down to earth”.
Apart from the football club, Charles visited Care Hub, a community care and housing organisation and the Horizon Youth Zone, a facility run by national charity OnSide.
Royal Protocol For Greeting The British Monarch
There are strict rules in place for addressing the British monarch, according to the royal family's official website.
Royal protocol states that King Charles must be addressed as “His Majesty” in writing and “Your Majesty” in conversation. The same applies to his wife, Queen Camilla.
On presentation to the King or Queen, the monarch must be formally addressed as “Your Majesty” and then “Sir” or “Ma'am”.
Furthermore, all members of the royal family must bow or curtsy to the monarch and his wife when greeting them for the first time in a while, People reported. This rule for greeting the monarch applies even on a royal family member's wedding day.
During the wedding ceremony of both Prince William and Kate Middleton and Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, both couples stopped to greet Queen Elizabeth II with a curtsy or bow.