King Charles Continues His Over-The-Top Frustration Caused By This One Thing
King Charles III has subjected royal subjects to his over-the-top frustrations on more than one occasion following the death of Queen Elizabeth II. Of course, one could blame the temper tantrums on being upset over the loss of his mother. Perhaps the king sidestepped the first stage of grief (denial and isolation) and went straight to the second: anger. But the newly appointed King Charles has a track record of angry outbursts, flaunting privilege, and seeking petty revenge.
According to Vanity Fair, the then-Prince Charles attempted to retaliate in against "Diana: Her True Story," Andrew Morton's biography about his cold and cruel treatment of Princess Diana during their doomed marriage. However, it seriously backfired. Prince Charles' authorized biography, "The Prince of Wales: An Intimate Portrait," telling his side of the story, resulted in more harm than good. Per Vanity Fair, critics slammed the book as "the whining complaints of an out-of-touch, privileged man."
"His level of contempt disappointed people who expected their future King to be high-minded and big-hearted," Kitty Kelley wrote in "The Royals." She claimed Prince Charles "came across as petty and small." High-minded and big-hearted are not the first personality traits that spring to mind when thinking of the new monarch. He's only been the sovereign for mere days, but King Charles' public temper is already sparking concern, and it doesn't appear that the situation will improve much over time. In fact, King Charles continues with his over-the-top frustration at even the most minor of things.
King Charles loses it over a fountain pen
King Charles III's quick-to-anger temper was fully displayed when he signed his monarch docs on September 10. Camilla, Queen consort, stood on guard as he waved flippantly for an aide to move an ink pot to the side of a table — and then move it back again. King Charles added his moniker without assistance, but then a small tray of pens to the side of his desk was not removed at the exact time required. With a strange grimace, the king shuffled the tray back and forth, glaring until an aide removed the offending item.
As it turns out, the king's latest over-the-top outburst was also triggered by a pen, per People. On September 13, the new king sat at another desk signing other papers, this time in Belfast, Northern Ireland.
Camilla watched over from the side while three aides stood behind, anticipating his every need. It was a good job that they were on duty because King Charles' gold fountain pen leaked a little ink onto his finger, and he was not happy. Camilla immediately sprang into action. She relieved the pen from his grasp and passed it to an aide as the team behind them rushed to help resolve the pen emergency. "I can't bear this bloody thing! Every stinking time," the king ranted.
King Charles' temper tantrums could spell a royal disaster
King Charles III is a man who is used to everything going his own way, exactly how and when he wants. Still, angry public outbursts over a small tray not being moved from the side of a table and getting a little ink on his finger seem excessive, even by royal standards. Which probably helps explain why commoners view the new king unfavorably compared to his predecessor and mother.
Per NPR, Queen Elizabeth II held the throne for 70 years and 127 days, making her Britain's longest-serving monarch and the world's second, behind France's King Louis XIV. She was a product of her royal upbringing and a stickler for enforcing the strict rules the royal family has to follow. However, she was also renowned for her quick wit, as proven when the queen made a surprising cameo in a James Bond parody during the 2012 Olympics opening ceremony. Additionally, Queen Elizabeth II offered a reassuring and comforting voice in times of need, such as rallying the British public during the COVID-19 lockdown.
"[King Charles] is finally His Majesty, but thanks to decades of (sometimes illegal) tabloid scrutiny and his self-generated missteps in marriage and politics, he takes the crown and scepter with less majesty than his mother," Politico editorial director Ryan Heath wrote of his succession, noting the public is now questioning the purpose and validity of the royal family in modern times.
King Charles' pen problems should be the least of his worries
King Charles III should focus on more than a wrongly placed pen tray and an inky finger. According to a May YouGov survey, support for the British monarchy has dropped from 67% to 56% in the past decade. As such, King Charles' own popularity remains in jeopardy as the world mourns the even-keeled Queen Elizabeth II. Yahoo! reported in 2021 that even other royals were turning against King Charles because of his ongoing anger at his son Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex.
However, the "pampered prince" turned fountain pen-hating king is unlikely to change his demeanor at this stage of life. "His pajamas are pressed every morning, his shoelaces are pressed flat with an iron," Princess Diana's former butler, Paul Burrell, claimed in the documentary "Serving the Royals: Inside the Firm" (via Yahoo!). "The bath plug has to be in a certain position, and the water temperature has to be just tepid."
Burrell also claimed King Charles employs somebody to squeeze toothpaste onto his brush in the morning, and that the royal once summoned him to his office to pick up a piece of paper that he'd dropped. If his latest outburst over his pen is any indication, we haven't seen the last of King Charles' over-the-top displays of entitlement.