Royal biographer Catherine Mayer has shared a behind-the-scenes story about King Charles being accidentally headbutted by an ex-girlfriend who was following two strict royal protocols. The anecdote comes from Mayer's research for her 2015 biography, Charles: The Heart of A King.
The Accidental Headbutt
Speaking on A Right Royal Podcast presented by Hello!, Mayer explained that the ex-girlfriend was required to curtsy and call Charles 'sir' whenever she met him, even though she was his romantic partner. During one encounter, she went to curtsy just as Charles leaned forward to kiss her, resulting in a headbutt—what Mayer described as a 'Glasgow kiss'.
Mayer said: 'I talked to one of Charles's old girlfriends who... told me this really funny story about how they were all in this room waiting for him to come... as soon as he arrived in the room they all kind of went like that and had to call him sir and then she was supposed to curtsy to him and call him sir whenever she met him even though she was like his girlfriend. So she goes to curtsy just as he leans forward to kiss her. He leans forward to kiss her and she gives him a Glasgow kiss.'
Royal Protocols Behind Closed Doors
Mayer, who founded the Women's Equality Party, noted that she had been 'lucky enough to see royals behind-closed-doors' and had once assumed they 'kind of kick off protocol along with their shoes' once the cameras stopped rolling. However, she insisted this was far from the reality she witnessed. She frequently refers to the Royal Family as 'planet Windsor'.
Her latest book, Divide & Rule, takes an in-depth look at the lives of eight royal women, including Meghan Markle, Princess Diana, and Princess Kate. Speaking to The Telegraph, Mayer revealed one discovery that caught her off guard: 'I ended up feeling incredibly sorry for Diana. I understand how she made the mistake of thinking she could find happiness within the institution. I think you basically need your head examined to want to be a part of it.'
Normality for Royal Children
Mayer praised Kate and William for trying to give their children some taste of normality. She said: 'The really good thing that Kate and William have done is they've tried to give their children some taste of normality.'
Mayer also described her own encounters with royal protocols, including attending a state banquet with her husband. She explained: 'The whole experience of being announced into the room is just such a funny thing, but they all do this. I mean, obviously the state banquet is a formal thing, but they do it at other kind of formal receptions. They absolutely do.'
