From badly-behaved animals to torrential rain, King Charles‘s trip to the Channel Islands has so far had all the ingredients of a quintessential royal visit.
But the monarch perhaps got more than he bargained for when he greeted the public in the small town of St Peter Port in Guernsey on Tuesday.
Mischievous 91-year-old local Kathleen Moriarty planted a kiss on the King’s cheek, much to the delight of onlookers.
The loud smooch was picked up by nearby cameras, cutting through the noise of the crowd.
King Charles took it in his stride, shaking Kathleen’s hand and giving her a wry smile.
For a 75-year-old undergoing cancer treatment, it’s a heartening sign that he is on the mend.
Yet an act of such intimacy may have provoked a very different response during the reign of the late Queen.
Royal biographers such as Andrew Morton have said Queen Elizabeth would ‘never’ have allowed a member of the public to kiss her, noting that she had a ‘different kind of style’ from her son.
From badly-behaved animals to torrential rain, King Charles ‘s trip to the Channel Islands has so far had all the ingredients of a quintessential royal visit, writes NATASHA LIVINGSTONE
But the monarch perhaps got more than he bargained for when he greeted the public in the small town of St Peter Port in Guernsey on Tuesday. Mischievous 91-year-old local Kathleen Moriarty planted a kiss on the King’s cheek, much to the delight of onlookers
And yesterday was not the first time Charles has received a peck from the public.
The day after the death of his mother in September 2022, the new King put on a brave face as he shook the hands of well-wishers at Buckingham Palace.
In an outpouring of affection, one woman leaned over to kiss his hand, while another landed one on his cheek.
It was the first sign of what has been dubbed the ‘informal formality’ of King Charles’s reign, reflecting his chilled-out approach to enthusiastic gland-handing.
As a royal reporter who regularly follows the King on engagements, it’s something I’ve seen for myself first-hand.
His relaxed style of royalty was a particular hit during the tour of Kenya last autumn, where the country’s largely young population – on average just 19 years old – welcomed the King and Queen like rock stars.
One 17-year-old even declared to me that she ‘loved’ Charles on a sunny beach in Mombasa.
A royal fan kisses King Charles’ hand during a walkabout outside Buckingham Palace following the death of his mother Queen Elizabeth, September 2022
Few will forget the bold red lipstick that was left on his cheek after a lively meeting with the Spice Girls in 1997
Prince Charles receiving a kiss from a royal fan during his visit to York to view flood damage, 2000
Prince Charles is kissed by an elderly woman during a visit to Cwmaman, in Aberdare, Wales, in 2001
Prince Charles gets a kiss on the cheek from teacher Kate Skillman during his visit to Sydney, March 2005
But the King’s natural warmth towards royal fans might not go down so well with Harry.
The Duke of Sussex claimed in his memoir Spare that his father ‘wasn’t great at showing emotions’ and did not hug him in the aftermath of Princess Diana’s tragic death.
So are the King’s advancing years making him a softer touch?
Records from his time as Prince of Wales suggest he has always been so when it comes to allowing kisses from fans.
A black-and-white photo from November 1977 shows Charles warmly received a peck from a royal fan in Perth, Western Australia.
Prince Charles receives a kiss from sixteen year-old Gilda Larbey during a walkabout in the Mall, Perth, Western Australia, November 1977
Prince Charles is kissed by Jane Priest, a model, as he emerges from the water at Cottesloe beach in Perth, during his 1979 tour of Australia
Prince William also seems to have embraced a more relaxed style of engaging with the public
And few will forget the bold red lipstick that was left on his cheek after a lively meeting with the Spice Girls two decades later.
It’s a tendency the new Prince of Wales, Prince William, seems to have embraced.
On a visit to Wales last October the Prince was mobbed by well-wishers who burst out laughing when he joked: ‘Who is pinching my bottom?’
And the previous month, former England footballer Paul Gascoigne got away with planting a kiss on William’s cheek when he met him by chance in Bournemouth.
Like a former ban on taking selfies, royal protocol evolves over time.
So is the new edict: ‘You may now kiss…the King’?
