‘So temperamental’: King Charles makes light of recent pen mishaps

Despite the heavy burden King Charles III faces in his new role, the newly appointed Head of State lightened the mood during his most recent engagement after joking about his recent pen mishaps.

King Charles and Queen Consort Camilla paid a visit to Edinburgh on Monday, October 3 for their first engagement since the Royal Family’s mourning period ended.

The royal couple greeted crowds as they made their way to the City’s Chambers to celebrate Dunfermline after its status from town to city had been changed during the late Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee earlier this year.

Charles appeared delighted as he met with members of the public and he kept the sense of levity going while signing a visitor’s book at a council meeting.

Footage shows King Charles signing the book and while handing the pen to his wife Camilla, with a laugh he quipped that “these things are so temperamental”.

His humorous comment harkens back to his most recent issues with the writing instrument during a number of public engagements.

During a signing ceremony at Hillsborough Castle in Belfast, Northern Ireland on September 13, the new Head of State handed his wife a pen before realising it had leaked all over his hands.

“I can’t bear this bloody thing! Every stinking time,” he said in frustration.

On another occasion, during his accession ceremony on Saturday, September 10, the King appeared unhappy with the pens that were on the desk as he called for aides to remove them.

King Charles can’t be blamed for his recent outburst given the heavy toll he is faced with following the loss of his beloved mother, Queen Elizabeth II.

Not only has Charles been forced to grieve the death of his mother under the watchful gaze of the public eyes he has also had to navigate his new role as Head of State.

Despite a few pen-related troubles the new King has received high praise from the public regarding his approach to what has surely been a mammoth undertaking.

One such figure who commended King Charles was former Palace butler Martin Higgins who told Today that King Charles had been “majestic in every sense” despite recent events “clearly taking an emotional toll”.

“I think in the last few days the toll that has been put on, the King especially, and the Royal family, obviously they’re going through their own personal grief as well as having media attention and the world on them and performing these duties,” Higgins said following the Queen’s state funeral.

“Of course they can’t put a foot wrong, because it will be disrespectful to Her Majesty so they’ve done brilliantly.”

Higgins also revealed that he believes King Charles will “be a phenomenal Monarch”.