Perhaps it was the delicious irony that has gotten the better of the Duchess of Cornwall. At a global climate summit to discuss unwanted gas emissions, the leader of the free world, Joe Biden, reportedly let rip with one of his own.
According to an inside source, the Duchess of Cornwall was apparently left blushing last week after she was caught on the receiving end of a “long and loud fart”, issued by 78-year-old President Biden, while the pair engaged in small talk at the COP26 summit in Scotland.
“It was long and loud and impossible to ignore,” the source said. “Camilla hasn’t stopped talking about it.”
The farting incident allegedly took place at a reception on Monday at the Kelvingrove Art Gallery, also attended by Prince Charles, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.
It capped off an unfortunate day for Biden at the high-profile climate change event. Hours earlier, with the eyes of the world upon him, he appeared to nod off for a nana nap during opening remarks made by Eddie Ndopu, a disability rights activist as he made stern warnings about the threat of global warming on our future food supply. As Biden, the oldest serving US president, closed his eyes, an aide had to step in to rouse him awake, prompting former President Donald Trump to nickname him “Sleepy Joe”.
Appropriately, Biden has called on world leaders to cut methane gas emissions by 30 per cent by the end of the decade. Amused observers have taken to Twitter to comment on the President’s breaking wind episode:
Said another: “Joe Biden and Mick Jagger are the same age … 78 years old. I can’t imagine Mick farting on stage!”
“This President is a total and utter embarrassment!” flared one post.
Others shot back at the Duchess for prolonging the President’s embarrassment over a normal bodily function:
“It says a lot about Camilla that she feels the need to talk about bodily functions of Joe Biden. This happens to everyone and karma may find Camilla in this very situation one day. She should be embarrassed for being mouthy.”
And this: “Speaking of farts…she’s an old fart!”
One Twitter user even suggested Camilla had been to blame for the flatulent episode:
Cheeky Camilla is known for her sharp wit and ribald sense of humour. The mother of two’s down-to-earth manner and lack of airs and graces are known to have been her best weapons in stealing the heart of the heir to the throne when they first met, nearly 50 years ago. Charles and Camilla have been married since April 2005.
“If you can’t laugh at yourself, you might as well give up,” the Duchess has said previously.
“You’ve got to laugh through most things, and sometimes I do laugh a bit too much. There are situations where it’s very difficult not to lose it completely, especially, you know, if something goes terribly wrong and everybody sits there for a split second [not sure how to react]. You do have to swallow and pinch yourself very hard to not laugh,” shared happy-go-lucky Camilla in the lead-up to her 70th birthday.
Camilla’s uncontrollable sense of humour does sometimes get the better of her in a very public setting. Notorious broadcaster Piers Morgan, who is among Camilla’s many fans, shared this moment when the Duchess got the giggles during an official event in Canada; and almost caused Prince Charles to lose his customary royal poise as well: