King Charles III was caught in a downpour during a royal visit to Antigua and Barbuda, and his growing frustration was hard to miss.
The king and Queen Camilla were watching a parade at Sir Vivian Richards Stadium on Nov. 1, marking the country’s 45th anniversary of independence, when the rain began pouring. Camilla was given an umbrella and moved toward shelter, while Charles remained outside, getting soaked.
After seeing his wife leave beneath an umbrella, Charles raised his hands and waved repeatedly to aides, apparently asking them to bring him one too. Help arrived, but only after his suit was already drenched.
Royal commentator Meredith Constant said Charles has sometimes struggled to hide his irritation when small things go wrong, particularly under pressure. In this case, she said, his annoyance was understandable: he is in his late 70s and undergoing cancer treatment, while Camilla had been given an umbrella during a heavy downpour.
Constant also described Camilla as a calming presence for her husband. She said the queen is more inclined to laugh off awkward moments, and that the couple tend to work well together without competing for attention.
When Camilla returned to the dais after the rain eased, she laughed with Charles about what had happened. The king joked that he had started growing watercress on his trousers.
Royal expert Hilary Fordwich said the incident differed from the public restraint often associated with Queen Elizabeth II. Still, she noted, the couple’s laughter afterward helped turn the mishap into a lighter moment. Charles’s joke, she added, showed he could respond to an awkward situation with humor.
Constant said the episode also raised questions about the king’s public image and the legacy he hopes to leave, especially as discussions continue about the future of the Commonwealth. She felt the situation should have been avoided.
In Britain, the umbrella episode was dubbed “Brolly-gate”—“brolly” being a familiar informal word for umbrella. Fordwich said Elizabeth generally kept her private reactions separate from her public role, while Charles is more openly expressive. In an era of social media, she added, such moments can spread around the world almost immediately.
Biographer Christopher Andersen has previously described Charles as moody and quick-tempered when he was younger. He also said Camilla has long helped steady him, and that the king has mellowed since taking the throne, though staff still know when he is displeased.
Charles was also seen losing patience with a leaking pen during a visit to Northern Ireland after Elizabeth’s death in September 2022. “I can’t bear this bloody thing!” he said to an aide. Camilla was then handed a pen to finish the signing ceremony.
Constant said Elizabeth was more naturally suited to the “keep calm, carry on” approach in public, while Charles has a different manner. She added that he knows people see him as a transitional monarch and wants to make his own mark.
The Caribbean tour took place amid renewed calls from regional leaders for Britain to address reparations for slavery. On Nov. 3, Charles described the transatlantic slave trade as a “shameful chapter of history” in a speech at the opening of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Antigua and Barbuda. He said its effects still cast a shadow over the islands and other Commonwealth members, but did not offer an apology.
Charles said he was looking for ways to address historical wrongs through better access to education, investment in jobs, stronger trade among Commonwealth countries and greater climate resilience.
Royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams said the storm should have been anticipated, particularly given Charles’s cancer treatment. He suggested Camilla’s umbrella was too small to cover both of them, and noted that the couple laughed about the incident afterward. At the time, he said, neither was likely to find it amusing.
Charles later returned to the moment during a dinner he and Camilla hosted for Commonwealth leaders. He joked that the organization brings together countries known for snow, deserts and, especially, people convinced they have perfect weather all year.
“Perhaps part of my role as Head of the Commonwealth is to provide an umbrella for you all,” he added.
