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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think publishing the video of King Charles getting annoyed when signing a visitors book today is very unkind?

489 replies

PipinwasAuntieMabelsdog · 13/09/2022 20:51

He has lost both parents in a short time frame, had a disagreement with his own son and taken on a very stressful job at the height of grief. AIBU to think this should not have been made public? Most people would lose their temper at a time like that in their own lives. Why publish this?

OP posts:
PaddleBoardingMomma · 13/09/2022 22:52

Motorcycleemptyness · 13/09/2022 22:48

DoE was another right old cunt as well.

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Think you’re winning the cunt championships ATM.

CurlyhairedAssassin · 13/09/2022 22:52

Myotherdogsaballboy · 13/09/2022 22:22

He’s known to be tantrummy and rather spoilt thought that was common knowledge. Think Camilla deserves much credit don’t think he’s an easy husband - met her in real life she’s warm and likeable and like her DV campaign

Charles comes across like a petulant toddler. He’s under massive strain and is grieving but literally everything that can be smoothed for him is and he just has to show up.

My DF died at 2 am. We had to bury him the same day. I’d had a day at work, spent the evening and night at the hospital when I got the call to say he had had a heart attack. I’d watched him die, was in numb shock and disbelief but had to go get the death certificate from another hospital department, go into town first thing to register his death, help the registrar with the spelling of his name, ring round relatives and friends, the relevant clergy and burial person and sort out food for after the funeral. At the time there was just me and DD doing everything till everyone else arrived. The next week was full of the admin that surrounds a death - long phone calls to call centres etc. I managed not to swear at anyone doing their job, just because I was going through hell. I’m no saint but I try my damnest not to take shit out on people who aren’t trying to piss me off. If he’s like this in public I can only imagine what he’s like out the public eye.

This. Charles gets ferried around, told exactly what to do, who to meet, where to sign etc etc. So many people helping him, sorting practical things out. He's not having to pick up the death certificate, collect personal belongings then drive himself across the city barely able to see from the tears in his eyes, to try to break the news to his other parent with alzheimers struggling on their own at home, stopping off to pick up shopping on the way. He has been coached for this role nearly all his life. He knew exactly what would happen on the day she died, all the protocol and necessary procedures. There will have been discussions about it. I agree that pen-gate is a sneak peak of what is to come, with his uncontrolled tetchiness. Camilla will be a godsend from what I've seen so far.

blisstwins · 13/09/2022 22:55

ShowTime80 · 13/09/2022 21:11

At the end of the day, we never ever saw the Queen behaving in that manner, and she had her fair share of grief.

It is ridiculous. A man with an inherited position. A king! Waving his hand to have things cleared, sacking people, acting impatiently rather than graciously.
he was born—where does he get off acting like this is a burden? If too much, too tired, he really doesn’t have to do it.

Motorcycleemptyness · 13/09/2022 22:56

PaddleBoardingMomma · 13/09/2022 22:52

Think you’re winning the cunt championships ATM.

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Why? He was an arsehole. Racist and obnoxious. You’re welcome to pretend otherwise though so crack on.

antelopevalley · 13/09/2022 23:05

This is who Charles is. I look forward to the excuses given by supporters here as we get more tantrums over the coming years.

glamourousindierockandroll · 13/09/2022 23:05

I don't begrudge the man for being grumpy at all, but I am very surprised that he doesn't seem able to 'behave himself' when he knows all eyes are on him. Him gesturing and grimacing during that ceremony the other day was just ridiculous I'm afraid, and this is the same.

He has been training for this all his life. It shows quite a lack of self awareness in my opinion. Why can't he just wait until he's in private and then bollock his aides about pens?

toastedcat · 13/09/2022 23:06

I found it endearing, I'm not sure he should be embarrassed by it. Shows him to be human

IrisVersicolor · 13/09/2022 23:07

toastedcat · 13/09/2022 23:06

I found it endearing, I'm not sure he should be embarrassed by it. Shows him to be human

There was me thinking he was divine.

toastedcat · 13/09/2022 23:09

@IrisVersicolor You know what I mean!

antelopevalley · 13/09/2022 23:09

toastedcat · 13/09/2022 23:06

I found it endearing, I'm not sure he should be embarrassed by it. Shows him to be human

Oh come on. No one thinks he is a saint. We all know he is human.

oakleaffy · 13/09/2022 23:11

Crustyjugglers · 13/09/2022 20:56

That’s just awful.
Especially as he bails out his adult son and daughter in law with vast sums.
Allowing faithful staff to be made redundant after years of service is appalling.
Shameful, in fact.

toastedcat · 13/09/2022 23:11

I suppose I mean in comparison to the Queen, who was sort of robotic.

Novum · 13/09/2022 23:13

blisstwins · 13/09/2022 22:55

It is ridiculous. A man with an inherited position. A king! Waving his hand to have things cleared, sacking people, acting impatiently rather than graciously.
he was born—where does he get off acting like this is a burden? If too much, too tired, he really doesn’t have to do it.

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It's not him sacking people, it's a Royal Household decision - and, of course, they are being redeployed wherever possible or made redundant. They're always conscious of the need to save money and the decision was effectively inevitable, I suspect.

If he abdicated because he found the last few days utterly exhausting, he would attract way more criticism. That doesn't change the fact that it must be incredibly hard to cope with on top of grieving.

Puzzledandpissedoff · 13/09/2022 23:14

Camilla looks like she is walking on eggshells

It's massively reported that everyone who surrounds him has to walk on eggshells, so I'm not sure why anyone would expect it to be different for his partner?

As many have said the idea of the late Queen behaving like this is unthinkable, so perhaps Charles's real mistake is showing his personality so clearly and so soon, while memories of his mum are still fresh

God help his PR people though ... talk about a poisoned chalice Hmm

theunwashed · 13/09/2022 23:16

A man who has his clothes picked out for him daily will likely have zero knowledge of his staff HR arrangements.

As for the holier-than-thou posters proclaiming that they would never be irritable after their parent died, let's put you in front of thousands of people staring at you and hundreds of cameras then check that you can perform impeccably for hours on end without looking bored, fidgeting, crying, snapping or showing grief or tiredness. My mum's the same age as him and she can't even go round Asda without getting tired and grumpy.

oakleaffy · 13/09/2022 23:17

MrsFezziwig · 13/09/2022 22:30

Interesting that posters are sneering at Charles & Camilla “living apart” - from the descriptions of relationships on here quite a lot of posters might fare better if they followed their example.

Absolutely right !
Two happy couples I know of each have their own houses.
It suited them immeasurably.
Especially if one of the partners is messy and the other a neat freak.
Separate living has a lot to commend it.

Livelovebehappy · 13/09/2022 23:17

Well, we need to get used to it. He’s not like the Queen. He lacks the warmth, and displays tendencies people dislike about the Royal family generally. It’s going to be a whole new ball game now he’s at the helm…

drpet49 · 13/09/2022 23:20

Yika · 13/09/2022 21:02

I think he was well prepared both for his mothers death and also for his new role. She (the queen) also stepped up to the throne at a very young age having lost her own father in a much more untimely fashion and as far as I know she has always kept a very unruffled demeanour. I think he should be able to rise above petty annoyances when in public. It doesn’t show him in a good light.

This sums it up perfectly.

ThunderLizard · 13/09/2022 23:23

The Clarence House household no longer exists. It is entirely unsurprising that there needs to be a redundancy consultation. And delaying that won't benefit the staff, it will just leave them hanging around in limbo for longer. Being at risk of redundancy is stressful - if it needs to happen then it's kinder to get on with it then to prolong it.

Puzzledandpissedoff · 13/09/2022 23:26

I don't begrudge the man for being grumpy at all, but I am very surprised that he doesn't seem able to 'behave himself' when he knows all eyes are on him

But where's the motivation for his to behave better when he's surrounded on all sides by people who'll tell him how wonderful (though terribly misunderstood) he is?

Luckily it didn't happen with the Queen, but when you add the sycophancy to an already petulant personaility, this can be the unfortunate result

LobeliaBaggins · 13/09/2022 23:27

oakleaffy · 13/09/2022 23:17

Absolutely right !
Two happy couples I know of each have their own houses.
It suited them immeasurably.
Especially if one of the partners is messy and the other a neat freak.
Separate living has a lot to commend it.

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Was the sneering comment aimed at me? I commented on that because I highly approve of separate living. I just can't afford it! Thought that was clear.

Ladybyrd · 13/09/2022 23:28

He had a huff in front of the Accession Council, until someone moved the crystal ink tray because it was apparently in his way of his arm when signing. You couldn't see who was on the end of the huff from the shot.

I think you're right @Sloth66. I'm sure it must be very tiresome signing pieces of paper all day, but it sort of goes with the territory.

Baggyeye · 13/09/2022 23:33

It would help if cameras weren't everywhere the bloke goes. I can't imagine doing all that he's had to do over the last few days in the public gaze. I broke down telling just the neighbours when one of my parents died and lots more beside - he's had to hold a lot in check so yes the pen gets it! I would judge him more harshly if he wasn't in the throes of bereavement.

Sparklythings1 · 13/09/2022 23:36

I get the impression from that clip as well as the previous one when he was signing the last thing that Camilla puts up with that sort of behaviour a lot. The part I couldn’t understand about doing it publicly on stage last time was how does he think that’s going to come across? Your whole life has built up to this moment, the public haven’t exactly been on his side previously, Meghan may have hinted towards it being him that some of those stories were about (which I can see now they likely were) so you’d think you’d just go up, try to act like a nice guy and get everyone on board. Instead he acts like a total spoilt child both times. Yes his mother has just died, at 96, but bad things have happened to us all before and it doesn’t excuse being really rude to other people. Bad behaviour is bad behaviour regardless

toomuchlaundry · 13/09/2022 23:38

If he had kept on staff in Clarence House other people would be complaining about the waste of taxpayers’ money.