King Charles was in a giggly mood on Wednesday in Balmoral as he had a cheeky suggestion for one nervous musician. The King briefly broke away from his Scottish summer retreat to return to London for a garden party celebrating the 125th anniversary of the Victoria League for Commonwealth Friendship. The event marked Charles's first public engagement since his youngest son, Prince Harry, and Meghan returned to the UK.
Among those meeting the monarch was 23-year-old Anshika Mishra, from Lucknow, India, who is studying for a Master's in Marketing. She described the accommodation as safe and welcoming, adding that meeting Charles was a "dream come true". A conversation with former student resident Andrew Kelly brought out the King's lighter side. The 29-year-old told Charles that he would be playing the violin at the garden party.
Rather than adding to his nerves, the monarch offered some very British advice, jokingly telling him: "Get a drink after to recover from stress." Charles then found himself facing an unexpected bit of garden-party drama when he was invited to unveil a commemorative plaque marking the Victoria League's milestone anniversary.
As the King pulled at the blue covering, the plaque itself suddenly came loose and tumbled onto the grass. A bystander swiftly stepped in to retrieve it and return it to the stand, allowing Charles to complete the unveiling without further mishap.