‘You may now kiss… the King’: Charles’ peck on the cheek in Guernsey is not the first time His Majesty has been warmly greeted… so is royal protocol evolving, asks NATASHA LIVINGSTONE
From poorly behaved animals to torrential rain, King Charles’ trip to the Channel Islands has had all the ingredients of a quintessential royal visit so far.
But the monarch may have got more than he bargained for when he greeted the public in the Guernsey town of St Peter Port on Tuesday.
The mischievous 91-year-old Kathleen Moriarty gave the king a kiss on the cheek, much to the delight of those watching.
The loud kissing was captured by nearby cameras and could be heard above the noise of the crowd.
King Charles took it upon himself, shook Kathleen’s hand and gave her an ironic smile.
For a 75-year-old undergoing cancer treatment, it is an encouraging sign that he is on the mend.
Yet such an intimate act during the late queen’s reign may have elicited a very different reaction.
Royal biographers such as Andrew Morton have said that Queen Elizabeth would “never” have allowed a member of the public to kiss her, saying she had a “different style” to her son.
From badly behaved animals to torrential rain, King Charles’ trip to the Channel Islands has had all the ingredients of a quintessential royal visit so far, writes NATASHA LIVINGSTONE
But the monarch may have gotten more than he bargained for when he greeted the public in the small town of St Peter Port in Guernsey on Tuesday. Cheeky 91-year-old local Kathleen Moriarty planted a kiss on the king’s cheek, much to the delight of onlookers
And yesterday wasn’t the first time Charles received a kiss from the public.
The day after his mother’s death in September 2022, the new king showed courage as he shook hands with his well-wishers at Buckingham Palace.
In a display of affection, one woman leaned over to kiss his hand, while another woman gave him a kiss on the cheek.
It was the first sign of what has been called the ‘informal formality’ of King Charles’s reign, a reflection of his relaxed approach to enthusiastic glandular transfer.
As a reporter for the royal family, I regularly follow the king during his duties. I have witnessed this with my own eyes.
His relaxed royal style was particularly popular during the tour of Kenya last fall, where the country’s predominantly young population – with an average age of just 19 – welcomed the king and queen like rock stars.
A 17-year-old girl even told me she ‘loved’ Charles on a sunny beach in Mombasa.
A royal fan kisses King Charles’ hand during a walk outside Buckingham Palace following the death of his mother Queen Elizabeth, September 2022
Few will forget the striking red lipstick he wore on his cheeks after a lively encounter with the Spice Girls in 1997
Prince Charles receives a kiss from a royal fan during his visit to York to view the water damage, 2000
Prince Charles is kissed by an older woman during a visit to Cwmaman, in Aberdare, Wales, in 2001
Prince Charles receives a kiss on the cheek from teacher Kate Skillman during his visit to Sydney, March 2005
But the King’s natural warmth towards royal fans may not sit well with Harry.
The Duke of Sussex claimed in his memoir Spare that his father was “not very good at showing emotion” and did not hug him after the tragic death of Princess Diana.
Has the king become softer due to his advancing age?
Documents from his time as Prince of Wales show that he always allowed kisses from fans.
A black-and-white photo from November 1977 shows Charles being warmly kissed by a royal fan in Perth, Western Australia.
Prince Charles receives a kiss from 16-year-old Gilda Larbey while walking on the Mall, Perth, Western Australia, November 1977
Prince Charles is kissed by Jane Priest, a model, as he emerges from the water at Cottesloe Beach in Perth, during his tour of Australia in 1979
Prince William also appears to have embraced a more relaxed style of interacting with the public
And few will forget the striking red lipstick he wore on his cheeks twenty years later after a lively encounter with the Spice Girls.
It’s a trend that the new Prince of Wales, Prince William, appears to be embracing.
When the prince visited Wales last October, he was inundated with supporters who burst out laughing when he joked: “Who’s pinching my bum?”
And the month before, former England footballer Paul Gascoigne had given Williams a kiss on the cheek when he met him by chance in Bournemouth.
Like the previous ban on selfies, royal protocol evolves over time.
And is the new edict: ‘You may now kiss the king’?