King Charles delivered an important constitutional moment on Wednesday.
At the State Opening of Parliament at the Palace of Westminster, the 77-year-old monarch set a modern record for a sovereign speech in this century, delivering a speech of 1,285 words.
As Charles and Queen Camilla departed through the Sovereign Entrance, the couple stopped for brief conversations along their exit route.
The King, apparently in no hurry to move on, became involved in the conversation and lingered a little longer than expected.
Queen Camilla responded with a light guiding tap on his arm that it was time to continue as planned.
Still in the middle of the conversation, the King continued for a few more moments before finally finishing and standing next to his wife as they continued on their way.
Some described Queen Camilla as gently “hustling” her husband, while others joked that the Queen handled the King’s famously conversational nature with quiet efficiency.
It’s not the first time she’s been forced to catch up with her husband’s famously gregarious nature.
In March, Their Majesties visited the Eden Project in Cornwall to mark its 25th anniversary, where the King once again found himself in his element among the crowds.
The monarch soon immersed himself in conversation with the volunteers, seeming so involved that he seemed to momentarily lose track of everything around him.
As he continued chatting, Queen Camilla could be seen trying to get his attention and move things along, but the King remained focused on the exchange.
