King Charles III, known for his calm demeanor in public, has a less calm side that emerges behind closed doors, according to sources familiar with his temperamental outbursts. These episodes have caused both amusement and concern, offering a rare insight into the pressures and expectations placed on the British monarch.
In a notable incident in September 2022, shortly after ascending to the throne following the death of Queen Elizabeth II, Charles was caught on camera struggling with a leaky pen while signing the guest book at Hillsborough Castle in Northern Ireland. “Oh God, I hate this!” he exclaimed, handing the problematic pen to his wife, Queen Camilla. “I can’t stand this bloody thing! What they do… every bloody time!” The incident quickly went viral and highlighted the king’s fiery temper.
Shortly afterwards, during the formal Accession Council ceremony, Charles was seen making irritated gestures at the odd placement of a pen and its holder. These episodes were not isolated; they revealed a deeper pattern of irascibility that has been corroborated by several sources and former staffers.
“Anything he perceives as incompetence is particularly on display,” one former employee told The Daily Beast. “He doesn’t suffer fools. To be fair to him, as anyone who has worked with him can tell you, he himself is always very well prepared, knowledgeable about the issues of the people he meets and works with, diligent and respectful of experts.”
This meticulousness and high expectations can sometimes lead to harsh reprimands. “He expects other people to show him the same respect; he can certainly attack staff in quite harsh terms when he perceives someone hasn’t done their job properly or is simply being, to use one of his preferred terms, ‘an idiot,'” the source added.
Despite these outbursts of temper, those close to Charles describe him as a demanding but ultimately fair boss. “Ultimately, people like working for him, but everyone is under a lot of pressure because his office is incredibly busy. He’s by no means a monster in the office, but he’s human and sometimes loses his temper. Unfortunately, there’s sometimes a camera recording him when that happens,” the former employee noted.
A friend of Charles and Camilla also commented on his temper, noting that he has mellowed over time. “It’s true that he has a short temper, but he’s much better since he’s been with Camilla. Everyone, regardless of their position or status, experiences irritations every day, but literally every move, every gesture he makes is closely scrutinized.”
The scrutiny of his every move is compounded by the pressures inherent in his role. Charles’s temper is often compared to that of his relatives. “The Windsors are prone to tantrums. Philip had them, Charles had them, William had them and Harry had them. You wouldn’t believe what came out of William’s mouth when he was playing football!” shared a family friend.
Royal biographer Penny Junor, who has written extensively about Charles, described his temper as “fearsome.” In her book, “The Firm,” Junor noted that Charles can be difficult to advise because of his preference for compromise rather than impartial advice. Another biographer, Christopher Andersen, recounted an incident in which Charles became so enraged by a stuck window during a holiday in the south of France that he threw a chair at it, breaking another window.
Paul Burrell, Princess Diana’s former butler, provided more detailed anecdotes about Charles’ particular demands and his reaction when they weren’t met. In his book “A Royal Duty,” Burrell described how Charles would send handwritten notes to staff with specific instructions, including how he liked his breakfast tray arranged and his preferences for the temperature of his bath. “His underwear is folded a certain way and his bath towel has to be positioned a certain way. When it comes to bathing, the plug in the tub has to be in a certain position, the temperature of the water has to be just lukewarm and only halfway hot. If anyone does anything wrong, everyone gets told off,” Burrell wrote.
Ken Stronach, a former valet, gave an interview in which he detailed Charles’ tantrums, including one incident in which Charles allegedly grabbed him by the collar after he dropped a cufflink down the sink. Stronach described how he hid in a linen closet until Charles calmed down.
Charles has apparently mellowed in the face of public scrutiny and personal health issues. Andersen suggests that facing one’s own mortality can put things into perspective. “Facing one’s own mortality obviously puts things into perspective. Things like losing the twins or having to wait a few extra seconds for a pen seem less important.”
The Daily Beast and OK Magazine contributed to this report.
