King Charles' Increasingly 'Awkward' Kisses Go Viral

King Charles III has become the subject of a new viral video, with footage of his public kisses with Princess Diana throughout their marriage gaining over 30 million views in just 24 hours on social media.

Charles and Diana's relationship saw a revival in public interest in 2023, around the November release of the final season of Netflix's royal drama series, The Crown.

Played by Dominic West and Elizabeth Debicki, the show's final episodes dramatized the events surrounding Diana's tragic death at the age of 36 in a 1997 Paris car crash, and how Charles adapted to life as a single parent to their two sons, Prince William and Prince Harry.

The dramatic breakdown of Charles and Diana's marriage, and its wider affects on their children, was also referenced by Harry in his January 2023 memoir, Spare.

As a result, a number of viral posts and videos reflecting on the prince and princess' marriage have been shared to social media in recent months, many highlighting moments during public events which may have spotlighted tensions between the two.

Uploaded to X (formerly Twitter) by user historyinmemes, on January 25, the latest of these has compared a succession of public kisses between the two royals at polo match prize giving presentations throughout their marriage, which began in 1981 and was legally dissolved in 1996.

Captioned "Why did the kisses become more and more awkward?" the video has become a viral sensation, receiving over 30 million views, 2,000 comments and 131,000 likes on the site so far.

The clips included show Charles kissing Diana on the cheek between the mid-1980s and 1992, as the princess presented awards during various polo matches.

During his youth, Charles was an avid polo player, a tradition and skill which was inherited from his father, Prince Philip, and one that has been picked up by his own sons, William and Harry.

The prince and princess' last polo kiss took place in February 1992 during an official visit to India.

The visit became a milestone in the breakdown of the couple's marriage, with the press widely speculating on the likelihood of a potential separation after Diana was photographed visiting the Taj Mahal alone.

Ten months after the Indian tour, Buckingham Palace announced that the prince and princess had taken the decision to formally separate but at the time had no plans to divorce. Four years later, after a lengthy period of public tension, the couple officially divorced.

A number of social media users have commented on the new viral video, many voicing support for the late princess and criticism for Charles, who was remarried in 2005 to Camilla Parker Bowles (now Queen Camilla).

"The increasing awkwardness in public displays of affection between Princess Diana and Prince Charles is obviously due to the deterioration of their personal relationship over time," wrote one user.

"Initially, their marriage was portrayed as a fairytale, but behind the scenes, there were serious issues. Their personalities and interests were different. As their marriage progressed, these issues became more pronounced, leading to visible discomfort and strained interactions in public, including awkward kisses."

James Crawford-Smith is Newsweek's royal reporter, based in London. You can find him on X (formerly Twitter) at @jrcrawfordsmith and read his stories on Newsweek's The Royals Facebook page.

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