King Charles delivered an important constitutional moment on Wednesday.
At the official opening of Parliament at the Palace of Westminster, the 77-year-old monarch set a modern record for a sovereign speech this century, delivering a 1,285-word speech.
As Charles and Queen Camilla departed via the Sovereign Entrance, the couple stopped for brief conversations along their route.
The king, apparently in no hurry to move on, engaged in conversation and lingered a little longer than expected.
Queen Camilla responded by lightly patting his arm that it was time to continue as planned.
Still in deep conversation, the king continued for a few more moments before finally concluding and following in his wife’s footsteps as they continued on their way.
Some described Queen Camilla as gently “squeezing” her husband, while others joked that the Queen handled the King’s famous conversational nature with understated efficiency.
This isn’t the first time she’s had to slowly make up for her husband’s notoriously sociable nature.
Last March, Their Majesties visited the Eden Project in Cornwall to mark its 25th anniversary, where the King once again found himself in his element among the crowds.
The monarch quickly immersed himself in conversation with volunteers, appearing so engaged that he seemed to momentarily lose track of everything around him.
As he continued to chat, Queen Camilla could be seen trying to get his attention and move things forward, but the king remained focused on the exchange.
