Former Highgrove head gardener Jack Stooks has revealed he accidentally called King Charles the wrong name shortly after the Coronation in 2023 - and was surprised by the monarch's reaction.
Speaking to CasinoHawks, Stooks said he "panicked" when he made the mistake, and even ended up swearing in the moment.
An unexpected encounter
Stooks, who worked for the King for several decades, explained that the incident happened when the gardeners were rushing to fix a leak in the irrigation system.
He said: "We had a call about a leak in the irrigation system. The King hates any sort of waste and losing water like this is a big no-no, so the gardeners rushed to fix it. I was in one of the bushes, bent down trying to fix this pipe, and I heard someone walking through the tunnel towards me.
"I stood up, thinking they needed to speak to me, and came face to face with the King."
A royal mistake
Stooks said he was "a bit thrown" and greeted the monarch with the wrong title.
"I said 'Good evening Your Highness'. However this was just after he had become King, so this was the wrong greeting. As soon as I said it I realised my mistake and panicked, and in the moment ended up swearing. I apologised and addressed him correctly as 'Your Majesty'."
Recalling the King's reaction, Stooks said: "He was completely fine about it. He just told me it was okay and not to worry.
"He said he was still getting used to the change in title as well. He's a very kind man, and this is just one example of how understanding he is."
A relaxed monarch
Although King Charles upholds traditional royal protocols, he seems to be unphased when these are sometimes broken.
Since coming to the throne, many members of the public have lunged forward to hug him during walkabouts. Rather than step away like previous monarchs may have done, the King seems to embrace the hugs instead of the expected handshake, showing just how relaxed he can be.
