King Charles gestures for umbrella during Antigua independence rain

Caught in a torrential downpour without a cover while his wife stayed dry beneath a transparent umbrella, King Charles III made sharp hand gestures at his assistants to demand shelter during a public appearance, Reuters reported.

Downpour at Sir Vivian Richards Stadium

The incident occurred on Sunday, November 1, at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium during celebrations for the 45th anniversary of Antigua and Barbuda’s independence. King Charles and Queen Camilla were on a Caribbean tour at the time, according to Reuters. A heavy downpour struck the lawn where the two were standing. Queen Camilla, 79, quickly sheltered under a transparent umbrella, while the King, 77, remained exposed to the rain.

King Charles Gestures for an Umbrella in the Rain

Visibly frustrated by the weather, the sovereign raised his hands to the sky as his wife moved away and repeated hand gestures toward his staff to request an umbrella. Local attendees remained unperturbed and impassissive beneath the storm. King Charles eventually obtained an umbrella before returning to the stadium’s official dais.

Jokes With Prime Minister Gaston Browne

The King later joked about the soaking with Prime Minister Gaston Browne. “I think I’m going to start growing watercress on my suit,” he said in an excerpt shared on the royal family’s Instagram account.

A History of Public Irritation

The monarch has previously shown public frustration during official ceremonies. In September 2022, a leaking pen upset him in Northern Ireland, where he told an aide, “Je ne supporte pas ce fichu truc ! À chaque fois, c’est la même histoire.”

Upcoming Commonwealth Address

The royal couple’s Caribbean itinerary includes attendance at a Commonwealth leaders’ meeting. King Charles is scheduled to deliver a speech to the leaders on Tuesday amid ongoing debates concerning the United Kingdom’s historical role in the slave trade, a subject on which the King has expressed regret without issuing an official apology.