Funny King Charles Moments That Prove He's More Relatable Than People Think

King Charles III might not be as popular as his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, but to many, he's certainly more relatable than the late monarch. Charles has survived a cheating scandal, a divorce, the death of his first wife, squabbles with his youngest son, the death of his mother, and a cancer diagnosis. He's lived an extraordinary life with very ordinary (albeit widely publicized) problems, and that sure makes him easier to identify with. It also helps that he can be quite the wisecracker. There's nothing like a bit of humor to make yourself more likeable to the people around you, and Charles has that in spades.

"He's quite quirky," royal author Sally Bedell Smith told Time in 2023, adding that, even though Charles spent 73 years as the heir apparent, he certainly didn't do so sitting on his hands. "He was very busy; he was a man in a hurry," Bedell Smith said. Royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams concurred, telling Time, "He has a fogeyish side, there's no doubt about it, but he's also an extremely hard worker."

Charles' reign has been littered with challenges. Aside from his cancer diagnosis, he's had to contend with the royal bombs his youngest son, Prince Harry, dropped in his tell-all memoir "Spare," as well as the arrest of his brother, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, for his association with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Royal experts and insiders alike are reportedly worried about the amount of stress Andrew's scandal is putting on the king, but so far, the monarch has soldiered on, armed with a stiff upper lip and some well-timed humor. It's what he's always done in turbulent times, and the king's humorous moments throughout the years have provided pundits with plenty of laughs and, oftentimes, a feeling of camaraderie with the royal.

Plenty of royal wardrobe malfunctions have been caught on camera, and King Charles III hasn't been spared. In 2000, the royal was making his way through Bob Marley's old stomping grounds — Trench Town in Jamaica. He was offered a gift during his visit — a Rasta cap, which onlookers were eager to see him put on. Charles humored them by doing so, but managed to put the cap on backwards. So, instead of the then-prince seemingly donning some Rasta locks, he looked like a Rasta who'd woken up on the wrong side of the bed. It was a humorous moment that still resurfaces on the internet every so often. On the same trip, Charles also threw royal protocol to the wind as he met with the locals, forfeiting the traditional royal handshake for an informal high five.

The king seems to have a soft spot in his heart for the Rastafarians. In 2007, he proudly showed off a watch that had been gifted to him by the late head of the Rastafarian movement and Ethiopian Emperor, Haile Selassie. Charles showed the memento to Rastafarian Erroll Graham, whom he was meeting with during an engagement for St. George's Day that year.

Dad jokes? King Charles III has plenty up his sovereign sleeve, and when his sons, Prince Harry and Prince William, were young, his propensity for cracking jokes when he shouldn't had the young princes looking for the nearest hole to crawl into. In a 2015 documentary titled "When Ant And Dec Met The Prince: 40 Years Of The Prince's Trust," TV presenting duo Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly interviewed Harry and William, trying to get a picture of what Charles is like behind the scenes. The two princes did not disappoint as far as transparency was concerned.

They shared that their father has the ability to laugh at the most inopportune times and once left William red-faced during a school play when some technical issues surfaced. Instead of quietly observing the fiasco, Charles, along with Prince Philip, burst out laughing. William said that, while the reaction was hardly ideal, it is the royal family's way to laugh "when things go wrong," per the Daily Mail. The young royals also revealed that Charles' penchant for "rabbiting on" whenever he visited their school was any teenager's nightmare.

Charles notably made William squirm during a 2006 Prince's Trust concert when he expressed his desire to break into song while he was on stage, waving a glow stick. "I must say that this is the moment when I wish I could sing," Charles told the crowd, who was more than willing to listen to the then-prince doing just that, per Business Insider. William's entire demeanor communicated that he'd rather the earth swallow him whole than be present for his father's karaoke session. Luckily for the prince, Charles conceded, "I know my limitations. But at least I have my glow stick."

In 2012, British residents who tuned in for their daily weather forecast on the BBC found themselves served with scattered showers and a side of royalty. Then-Prince Charles stepped in front of the weather map instead of the usual presenter, letting the country know that dreary weather was expected all around. But unlike your everyday meteorologist, the royal wasn't afraid to offer some snark on the less than ideal conditions.

As Charles came to the part where he imparted the grave news that "a few flurries over Balmoral" can be expected, he quipped, "Who the hell wrote this script?" (via AP Archive). This wasn't the only time he went off-script. As he announced "temperatures of just eight Celsius and a brisk northeasterly wind," the monarch added in jest, "Thank God it's not a bank holiday." Laughs from the studio staff sounded on both accounts, with even Charles struggling to keep a straight face.

Charles' wife, Camilla, Queen Consort, was also present for his weather reading. The king got roped into delivering the weather forecast as he and Camilla were touring the BBC's Scotland Pacific Quay headquarters. Their visit coincided with Holyrood Week, which refers to the monarch's annual week-long stay in Scotland, marked by several engagements and the celebration of community members who are bringing about meaningful change in their areas. It also happened to be the station's 60th anniversary, and thanks to Charles' appearance, it remains a memorable one.

If you think you saw King Charles III in a skirt — no, you didn't. It's called a kilt, people. It would appear, however, that Charles bears a close resemblance to his sister, Princess Anne, when he parades around in the traditional Scottish uniform. Charles and Anne's relationship has long been marked by a dash of playfulness (the king once hilariously snuck up on the Princess Royal in 2018, to the delight of royal fans everywhere), so it shouldn't come as much of a surprise that Anne was happy to tell a crowd that someone had once mistaken Charles for her during a royal engagement.

While delivering a speech in 2012, Anne was introduced as Charles by the host, who was understandably mortified by their blunder. Anne took it in stride, turning it into a joke (proving, once again, that she's a total boss). She proceeded to recall a time Charles paid a visit to a Scottish retirement home, sporting his kilt, and left one of the residents very confused. "He actually heard, when he was engaged in conversation down the other end, an old lady say, 'Is that the Princess Royal?!'" Anne recalled, per Town & Country. "He thought it was quite funny. And I am wearing trousers today—well there you go."

The quip not only endeared the crowd to Anne, but showed Charles' sense of humor. The Princess Royal has played no small part in making her brother a more relatable figure to the public, and this is proof. Charles has also scored brownie points with the Scots for sporting the traditional garment.

Ah! The good old days when most of the global population was still unfamiliar with how to quickly and efficiently put on a mask will be looked back on fondly. We'll never forget wrestling with those darn masks during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, and neither will King Charles III, whose kerfuffle with a mask will most likely make it into one or two history books.

In June 2021, Charles was photographed in a hilarious — and oh-so-relatable — moment where, as he attempted to put on a mask, it somehow ended up over his eyes instead of over his nose and mouth. The king looked about ready to take a nap instead of bright-eyed and bushy-tailed for his royal engagement at an Oxford Mini car factory. The gaffe provided the public with a little laughter in the midst of what was a very dark time for the world.

That was hardly the only time the king found himself in a mask fiasco. In May of that year, he paid a visit to the Prince of Wales pub in Clapham, South London, as businesses slowly started to reopen. The then-prince poured himself a pint, but then found himself in quite the conundrum when he realized he had a face mask to contend with. "Bit difficult this one," he muttered, and giggled as he fumbled with his mask. Camilla, Queen Consort, noted, "That's going to be an interesting one to drink through a mask" (via the Mirror). Charles almost ended up with his mask over his eyes this time around as well, pulling it up to take a sip. It didn't make for the most flattering pictures, but the hilarity of the moment certainly warmed hearts around the world.

Royals are not above losing their temper in public, and King Charles III had a vulnerable moment mere days after Queen Elizabeth II's heartbreaking death when he had a run-in with a leaky pen, and lost his composure for a few split seconds. The king was visiting Northern Ireland's Hillsborough Castle and found himself partaking in a book-signing ceremony. Alas, the pen he was given wasn't in a serving mood. First, the monarch got the date wrong, and then, as he continued to sign the book, ink seemingly spilled everywhere.

"I hate this," Charles complained, just as Camilla, Queen Consort, affirmed that ink was "going everywhere." Charles, clearly irritated by the mess, exclaimed, "I can't bear this bloody thing ... Every stinking time!" (via The Guardian). The video of the king losing his temper quickly went viral, with mixed opinions on his reaction, but the monarch has since shown that he's willing to own the moment.

While delivering a speech in October 2023, the king referenced the gaffe, making good fun of the moment. "The British sense of humor is world-renowned. It is not what we do. It is who we are. Our ability to laugh at ourselves is one of our great national characteristics. Just as well, you may say, given some of the vicissitudes I have faced with frustratingly failing fountain pens this past year!" he quipped, per Pure Wow. He jokingly referenced the viral incident again in 2024 when he readied to sign a guest book during a visit to Scotland. "I'm hoping that my pen is going to work. It doesn't usually," he told onlookers.

Don't look now, but the king of England isn't afraid to brave new heights, so to speak. In 2012, then-Prince Charles made headlines when he visited Grainville School in Jersey and had a go at a climbing wall.

The king could be seen chatting with a group of people and inspecting the climbing wall. His Majesty seemed keen to get in some exercise and moved closer to inspect it. He muttered something about his shoes (probably pointing out that he was woefully overdressed for the activity), then proceeded to do some climbing anyway. It was quite the sight: The heir to the throne, dressed in his suit and polished shoes, braving a climbing wall. Charles was surprisingly nimble, moving seamlessly between climbing holds. Onlookers applauded as he jumped back down to the ground and pretended to wipe sweat from his brow.

The king's shenanigans quickly went viral, with The Guardian running a photograph from the event, crowning Charles as Britain's very own Spider-Man. The publication encouraged readers to caption the photograph with their thoughts on what was going through the royal's head as he showed off his spidey skills. Needless to say, he'd made quite the impression that day.

King Charles III's humor proved to be as impeccable as ever during his April 2026 visit to the United States. He managed to skewer President Donald Trump with the dry humor the British are famous for, with even the president laughing at Charles' quips. His wit was all he had, since, as the British monarch, Charles isn't exactly allowed to make political statements.

Charles' cleverly-disguised jabs had his audience in stitches multiple times. The king noted the demolition of the historic East Wing, which Trump ordered to make room for a ballroom. "On this occasion, I cannot help noticing the readjustments to the East Wing, Mr. President, following your visit to Windsor Castle last year," Charles quipped, glancing at Trump (via the BBC). "I'm sorry to say that we British of course made our own small attempt at real estate redevelopment of the White House in 1814," he added, referring to British troops who set the White House alight in retribution for America's torching of York in Canada. The king also notably pointed out that some American states and cities still bear the names of his ancestors, listing Maryland, Virginia, North and South Carolina, and Charleston, adding that the last one is "a particular favorite of mine." One cannot help but wonder whether he was taking a jab at Trump's self-branding across the country. Nevertheless, it was received with roaring laughter.

British rocker Rod Stewart told Charles during an event in May 2026 that he was impressed with his performance at the White House. "You were superb, absolutely superb ... put that little ratbag in his place," he enthused, per The Independent. Charles only laughed in response.

King Charles III made hilarious headlines in March 2026 during his visit to the headquarters of solar panel company Oxford Photovoltaics. The king was tasked with unveiling a plaque that had been commissioned to mark his visit to the company, and he removed the silky sheet covering it with a little too much enthusiasm. The plaque clattered to the floor, with Charles exclaiming dryly, "There we go. It's always a disaster" (via Facebook). He asked whether the personnel had found a spot to display the plaque yet, quipping that it will probably find its place in the "downstairs loo."

Charles is no stranger to plaque mishaps. He had a similar one go viral in July 2023. The king was in Wales for a series of royal engagements and was all set to unveil a commemorative plate at the Theatr Brycheiniog in South Wales when the wind decided to lend him a helping hand, blowing the sheet clean off. Charles took it all in good humor, laughing at the mishap. He really meant it when he mentioned "it's always a disaster" during the 2026 blunder.

Seaside towns are nice and all, but they hold some serious risks, like getting pooped on by the seagulls. King Charles III knows this firsthand. The king was visiting Newcastle in Northern Ireland in May 2026 when a rogue seagull decided to rain poop on his parade. Charles spent the majority of his walkabout among civilians with a smear of seagull excrement on the back of his suit jacket. He took it all in good grace, however. "These miserable seagulls," the king commented to one royal fan (via 9 News Australia). "At least it didn't land on my head." Indeed, that would have constituted an international incident.

One onlooker assured the king that he needn't be embarrassed, for great favor had been bestowed upon him, noting that it's a sign of "good luck," per the BBC. This elicited a grin from the king. The incident set social media aflutter, with royal pundits making good fun of the mishap. "He has lots of good luck coming his way, as that was a big one!" an X user commented, per GloucestershireLive. Others noted that the seagull in question had some serious skills, with one penning, "You have to admire Irish seagulls. Landing a poo on the King's jacket from 200 feet requires great skill and dexterity." No arguments there.