Queen Camilla found herself at the centre of attention during a busy day of royal engagements in Belfast this week after an unfortunate umbrella mishap was caught on camera alongside King Charles.
The queen, 78, joined King Charles, 77, in Northern Ireland on Tuesday as the royal couple visited Thompson Dock for a celebration of local music and culture. During the outing, the pair also learned more about Titanic Distillers and its whisky-making process inside the restored Edwardian pumphouse linked to the launch of the Titanic.
But it was Camilla’s arrival that quickly got people talking online.
Queen Camilla has awkward umbrella mishap in Belfast
As King Charles and Queen Camilla greeted members of the public at Thompson Dock, the queen was seen carrying an umbrella while shaking hands.
However, as she leaned forward to greet those waiting for the royal couple, she appeared to briefly lose hold of the umbrella.
The umbrella dropped slightly and seemed to catch a woman in the face during the exchange.
The moment was later shared on X, where some royal watchers were quick to react.
One person wrote: “Camilla not only hitting a lady with her umbrella but didn’t seem like she apologised at all. My god the lack of grace this woman has.”
Another commented: “Why is no one talking about how Camilla absolutely smacked the lady in the face with her umbrella and didn’t say anything.”
Fans rush to defend the queen
Despite the criticism, plenty of royal fans defended Queen Camilla and insisted the incident appeared accidental.
One supporter said: “She wasn’t even aware she accidentally knocked the lady with her umbrella. She wasn’t looking in that direction. Had she, I’m sure she would’ve apologised. Trying to make a story out of nothing!!”
Another wrote: “You have not a clue what she said to the lady.”
A third added: “How do you know she didn’t apologise dear? Were you there?”
What King Charles and Queen Camilla did during their Northern Ireland visit
Elsewhere during the visit, King Charles headed to W5 LIFE where he met young people developing skills and confidence for the future.
The royal couple later travelled to Hillsborough Castle to meet Northern Ireland’s First Minister and deputy First Minister.
Camilla also carried out a solo engagement at Fane Street Primary School. She met staff and pupils and joined the school assembly after receiving letters from students last year.
The Belfast outing comes during an especially hectic period for the king and queen.
At the end of April, Charles and Camilla travelled to the United States for an official state visit, where they reunited with President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump ahead of celebrations marking the 250th anniversary of American Independence on July 4.
Read more: ‘Distressing’ claim made over King Charles’ reign amid family rift
After leaving the United States, the king travelled on to Bermuda.
The couple also attended last week’s State Opening of Parliament, where Charles delivered the king’s speech outlining the government’s plans for the coming parliamentary session.
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