Queen Camilla, the current Queen of England, who has sparked quite an emotional stir within the British Royal Family—seemingly of her own making. The drama unfolded during the late Queen Elizabeth’s second funeral on September 19, 2022, where Princess Charlotte and Prince George were also in attendance.
The incident caught the attention of lip-reading expert Jeremy Freeman, who observed Queen Camilla scolding Princess Charlotte, William and Catherine's beloved daughter, with a terse two-word command directed at the Princess of Wales. As the royal family gathered for the somber farewell to Her Majesty, the world watched as young royals, including Princess Charlotte and Prince George, trailed behind King Charles III and other senior members of the family.
Tensions escalated during the dignified event when Prince George reportedly attempted to pinch his sister, prompting a sharp reaction from Princess Charlotte, who allegedly cried out “Ow!” and turned to confront him. Meghan Markle, witnessing the incident, seemed to empathize, offering a small, understanding smile towards the young princess. However, Queen Camilla, noticing the commotion, appeared displeased and whispered a firm command to Princess Charlotte’s mother, instructing her to “Take her.”
Further observations by the lip reader revealed additional moments where Princess Charlotte seemed to take on a mentoring role for her brother, such as reminding him, “You need to bow.” Dressed in a smart suit and tie, Prince George appeared to heed his sister’s reminder about royal protocol. The live TV moment, where the two eldest children of the Wales family seemed to disagree, did not go unnoticed by viewers. One tweeted, “Looks like Prince George and Princess Charlotte had a little disagreement—check out Queen Consort Camilla!” Another viewer asked, “What did Charlotte say when she turned back around? Was it ‘Wow,’ ‘Ow,’ or ‘Cow’?”
At the coronation concert, the Wales family was seen greeting the King and Queen with traditional bows and curtsies. However, Charlotte, following her mother’s lead, slightly lost her footing after curtsying to the King. She glanced at her father and brother as she regained her balance, only to miss out on another curtsy from Princess Charlotte. Queen Camilla noticed the moment and discreetly comforted her step-granddaughter with a gentle pat on the shoulder as she passed by.
Indeed, the young royal has often shown fans that she is a confident and self-assured little girl. The late Queen Elizabeth herself once commented on Charlotte’s protective nature during an outing in January 2018 when Charlotte was just two years old. The late Queen asked a 10-year-old student’s mother, Emily Clay, if her eldest daughter looked after her younger sibling. Emily’s mother replied that it was actually the other way around, to which the late Monarch remarked that it was similar with Charlotte and George.
Charlotte has often been seen out and about with both Louis and George, particularly protective of her younger brother, who was born in April 2018. To celebrate Charlotte’s third birthday, her parents shared a sweet picture of the proud big sister holding Louis, who was no more than a week old at the time. Charlotte was also spotted taking her big sister role seriously when she was seen sweetly holding Louis’s hand at King Charles’s coronation in May 2023.
Princess Charlotte participates in royal duties appropriate for her age, supports charities, and represents the monarchy both at home and abroad. Despite changes in the Royal Family’s structure over time, Charlotte will always retain the title of Princess and remain a cherished member of the Welsh family. She strikes me as quite a confident young lady, and with two brothers, she will no doubt be looking to her mother and other women in the family as role models—from her great-grandmother, the Queen, to her own mother.
All three children have their own special place in their parents' hearts—George as the heir, Charlotte as the only girl, and Louis as the youngest. The Princess is reaching an age where she can appreciate her mother’s sense of style, and they can share more “girly” moments together. Catherine also serves as the perfect role model on how to behave as a senior member of the Royal Family.
