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King Charles loses his temper at leaking pen: 'Every stinking time'
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King Charles III was captured venting his frustration at the hands of a leaking pen during a visit to the royal residence of Hillsborough Castle near Belfast.
On Tuesday (13 September), the new monarch sat down to sign the visitors' book, asking his wife and Queen Consort Camila Parker Bowles what the date was.
Attention soon turned to the faulty pen. "Oh god I hate this (pen)!" Charles said, standing up from his chair and handing the pen to Camilla.
"Oh look, it’s going everywhere," Camilla responded as her husband attempted to get the ink off his hands.
"I can’t bear this bloody thing … every stinking time," Charles said as he walked away.
The pen was quickly replaced, and the Queen Consort sat down to sign the book.
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\u201c\u05d4\u05de\u05dc\u05da \u05e6'\u05d0\u05e8\u05dc\u05e1 \u05de\u05e6\u05d9\u05d2: \u05d2\u05dd \u05d1\u05e0\u05d9 \u05de\u05dc\u05d5\u05db\u05d4 \u05dc\u05d0 \u05d9\u05db\u05d5\u05dc\u05d9\u05dd \u05dc\u05d4\u05d9\u05de\u05dc\u05d8 \u05de\u05d4\u05ea\u05e1\u05db\u05d5\u05dc \u05e9\u05dc \u05dc\u05d0 \u05e2\u05d8 \u05e2\u05d5\u05d1\u05d3.\n\u05d5\u05d8\u05e2\u05d5\u05ea \u05d1\u05ea\u05d0\u05e8\u05d9\u05da.\u201d— Amichai Stein (@Amichai Stein) 1663087147
The viral clip was shared online soon after, drawing a mixture of responses from Twitter users.
Some called out the King for his "strop", with one brutally saying: "I see a spoiled man child, always was and always will be, his whole life has been leading up to this and he is not up to it".
Others, however, were much more empathetic and quick to highlight his recent loss.
\u201cI\u2019m a multifaceted human being + admit to being conflicted about the Royals discourse at the moment. But Charles getting frustrated over a leaky pen, days after the death of his mother where he\u2019s had no space + time to grieve, doesn\u2019t feel like the gotcha everyone wants it to be?\u201d— Jack Monroe \ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\u26a7\ufe0f\ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\ud83c\udf08 (@Jack Monroe \ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\u26a7\ufe0f\ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\ud83c\udf08) 1663109425
\u201c@BootstrapCook Agree Jack. He's grieving. Cameras everywhere. He's in his 70s and hasn't stopped. Tbf I'd be at the end of my tether too x\u201d— Jack Monroe \ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\u26a7\ufe0f\ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\ud83c\udf08 (@Jack Monroe \ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\u26a7\ufe0f\ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\ud83c\udf08) 1663109425
\u201c@BootstrapCook I'm not a fan of his but I do feel a bit sorry for him. He must be shattered. Also, Princess Anne. Imagine having to grieve for your mum, in public.\u201d— Jack Monroe \ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\u26a7\ufe0f\ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\ud83c\udf08 (@Jack Monroe \ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\u26a7\ufe0f\ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\ud83c\udf08) 1663109425
\u201c@BootstrapCook Grief is a process and he hasn't even began his. I feel for him. I really do.\u201d— Jack Monroe \ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\u26a7\ufe0f\ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\ud83c\udf08 (@Jack Monroe \ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\u26a7\ufe0f\ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\ud83c\udf08) 1663109425
\u201c@BootstrapCook i hate that the monarchy are parading an elderly man around mere days after the passing of his mother, a death that has obviously affected him. even though i utterly despise the royal family it feels wrong to do that to anyone\u201d— Jack Monroe \ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\u26a7\ufe0f\ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\ud83c\udf08 (@Jack Monroe \ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\u26a7\ufe0f\ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\ud83c\udf08) 1663109425
\u201c@BootstrapCook IMO it showed that the King is a normal human being.\u201d— Jack Monroe \ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\u26a7\ufe0f\ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\ud83c\udf08 (@Jack Monroe \ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\u26a7\ufe0f\ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\ud83c\udf08) 1663109425
\u201c@BootstrapCook Well said, Jack. When my mother died the slightest thing could make me flip - and I wasn't having my every movement filmed and scrutinised.\u201d— Jack Monroe \ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\u26a7\ufe0f\ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\ud83c\udf08 (@Jack Monroe \ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\u26a7\ufe0f\ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\ud83c\udf08) 1663109425
\u201c@BootstrapCook Death is the one certainty in life that all of us have and yet one that most are ill equipped to deal with. It is not normal to have to do your grieving in a goldfish bowl- it\u2019s beyond hideous\u201d— Jack Monroe \ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\u26a7\ufe0f\ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\ud83c\udf08 (@Jack Monroe \ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\u26a7\ufe0f\ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\ud83c\udf08) 1663109425
\u201c@BootstrapCook My husband died in May. Since then, I have lost my temper with most kitchen implements, various tech, buttons on blouses - you name it. I could lose it over leaky pens even without grief and the added burden of taking over a new job in the glare of the world spotlight.\u201d— Jack Monroe \ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\u26a7\ufe0f\ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\ud83c\udf08 (@Jack Monroe \ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\u26a7\ufe0f\ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\ud83c\udf08) 1663109425
This moment days after, viewers of King Charles' historic accession to the throne found themselves distracted when he suddenly frantically gestured to one of his aides to get rid of a pot of ink.
Signing the historic Proclamation, the King aide motioned to an aide to move a pen box from his desk.
Despite the moment's importance, viewers found the seeming difficulty the King had with the pen hilarious.
The fountain pen set he used to sign the significant document was gifted to him by his sons, Princes William and Harry.
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