Queen Camilla was captured in fits of laughter after King Charles experienced a public mishap during an Independence Parade in Antigua, an incident quickly dubbed 'Umbrella gate.' The royal couple were attending a ceremony at the Sir Vivian Richards Cricket Stadium to mark Antigua and Barbuda's 45th anniversary of independence when a sudden downpour occurred.
Video footage shows the King, left standing alone without an umbrella as a shower began, gesturing in exasperation and appearing to mouth "Where's the umbrella?" He even mimed holding one before an aide retrieved an umbrella for him. By that time, the King was visibly soaked, with his suit appearing see-through in places.
While Charles initially appeared frustrated by the situation, Queen Camilla, who had retreated to the royal seating area with an umbrella, was seen in hysterics. She appeared to find the situation amusing, chuckling incessantly and at one point looking to the sky in apparent disbelief at the heavy rainfall. Though her hair was affected by the wet weather, the Queen seemed to embrace the situation.
Charles, however, took the soaking in good humor afterward, reportedly joking, "I've started growing watercress on my trousers." The incident is seen as a rare misstep by Buckingham Palace's typically seamless operations, as aides would normally have ensured an umbrella was readily available.
The downpour lasted about five minutes, after which the celebrations continued. The King later continued with the lengthy engagement, sheltering under the umbrella to inspect service personnel. He was cheered by crowds upon his return.
Following the parade, the Governor-General presented the National Honourees to Their Majesties. The King and Queen then viewed the parade's closing sequence and met with students and West Indian cricketing legends Sir Vivian Richards, Sir Richie Richardson, Sir Andy Roberts, and Sir Curtly Ambrose. Charles greeted Sir Vivian like an old friend, and later participated in a coin toss for a cricket match between Heads of Government and Caribbean leaders.
This event occurred against a backdrop of discussions in the Caribbean regarding demands for reparations from Britain for its role in slavery, with Antigua and Barbuda's Prime Minister having previously expressed a desire for the country to become a republic.