When King CharlesDuring his Caribbean tour last Sunday, the monarch found himself exposed to the elements, with aides’ apparent oversight sparking a global social media storm.
But what has become known as ‘umbrella-gate’ stemmed from a surprisingly common mistake: the King had left his umbrella in the back seat of his car, The Mail on Sunday can disclose.
After a detailed review of the awkward episode, a royal source confirmed that the King’s umbrella remained inside the vehicle when it was parked behind the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua on Sunday.
At that time, Charles had already been dropped off to attend festivities celebrating the Caribbean nation’s 45th year of independence.
The King was seen dabbing his forehead as rain poured down, eventually receiving a compact emergency umbrella from an equerry.
In response to the mishap, royal staff have introduced a new brolly-centered protocol to prevent the King from being caught unprepared by bad weather during public engagements. Going forward, multiple umbrellas will be carried by attendants on official visits.
A witness at the event told the MoS: ‘It was left in the car, which then moved to the rear of the stadium. Several umbrellas were then carried by staff for the rest of the visit.’
The insider also suggested it ‘likely came from one of the guests in the official tent’.
The King has responded to the mishap with lightheartedness, emboldened by staff who anticipated the grumpy video would go viral, prompting him to embrace the moment as a joke.
Following this, the Royal Family’s official Instagram account posted footage of Charles quipping to Antigua’s Prime Minister Gaston Browne, saying: ‘I think I’m about to grow watercress on my suit.’
A witness at the gathering mentioned that the individual involved had been addressed regarding the umbrella incident.
The source added: ‘The driver carried out his duties correctly, so he wasn’t reprimanded. The Personal Protection Officers, however, were given feedback.’
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