King Charles' Awkward Moment in First King's Speech Caught on Camera

King Charles III appeared to suppress his environmental concerns on Tuesday, as he announced the U.K. government's planned expansion of fossil fuel field licensing during his first King's Speech at the State Opening of Parliament.

In the speech, captured on camera and broadcast live in Britain, Charles read the government's policy outline for the incoming parliamentary term. It is written by the government and not by Charles himself and it was the first time he has read the speech in his own right as monarch. He became the first king to open parliament in such a ceremony since his grandfather, King George VI, in 1950.

Prior to the ceremony, speculation arose in Britain about how the king would perform the reading, as it addressed the ongoing cost of living crisis in the country and also the government's plans to relax environmental targets and it moves toward the national goal of becoming "net zero" by 2050.

To become net zero, a nation must offset as many carbon emissions as it produces. This would not only significantly reduce the environmental impact of human habitation in Britain, but also have a positive impact on the global environment and climate change.

Charles has been a vocal advocate for the environment since the 1970s, being one of the first prominent global figures to play such a role, earning him ridicule in the early years.

In an exclusive editorial for Newsweek in 2022, the then-Prince Charles wrote of the need for urgency when tackling climate change, saying "the time is now" to act. The government's announcement this year that it would be reducing measures that pushed towards the 2050 target for net zero was at odds with the king's publicly stated position.

At the State Opening of Parliament on Tuesday, Charles sat on the throne beside Queen Camilla at the Palace of Westminster in London, where he formally read the government's aims in public for the first time.

One new point of legislation would see the government expanding its oil and gas field licensing, as it seeks to cut the nation's reliance on foreign imports.

"Legislation will be introduced to strengthen the United Kingdom's energy security and reduce reliance on volatile international energy markets and hostile foreign regimes," the king read. "This Bill will support the future licensing of new oil and gas fields, helping the country to transition to net zero by 2050 without adding undue burdens on households."

After the speech, a number of social media sources picked up on the moment and what it meant for the king to be reading out the environmental points.

Broadcaster and political commentor Paul Brand took to X (formerly Twitter) to note his interpretation of skepticism on Charles' part at this point in the speech.

"King Charles III looks highly sceptical as the long-term environmentalist announces the govt will allow new oil and gas licenses in the North Sea. #KingsSpeech," he wrote.

Political satire account Larry the Cat also highlighted the moment, writing: "It was at this precise moment that King Charles regretted not checking beforehand what his government had asked him to read out #KingsSpeech."

Alternatively, as Charles made his speech in parliament, his elder son, Prince William, was speaking about global environmentalism at his eco-awards show, the Earthshot Prize, in Singapore.

In a speech given at the third annual ceremony, the prince echoed the sentiments freely stated by his father before his accession, saying: "I choose to believe that future generations will look back on this decade as the point at which we globally took collective action for our planet.

"The moment we refused to accept the voices of denial and defeatism, and instead, became the architects of change towards a healthy and sustainable world.

"We owe it to the generations that will follow us to work together both for their future, and for the future of our planet."

In becoming king, Charles accepted his duty to become a more politically neutral figure whose role is not to speak on matters of policy. Speculation as to how the outspoken royal would handle this challenge grew in the final months of Queen Elizabeth II's life, with the prince appearing to attempt to ease these in his first address to the nation.

"My life will of course change as I take up my new responsibilities," he said from Buckingham Palace on his first full day as king. "It will no longer be possible for me to give so much of my time and energies to the charities and issues for which I care so deeply. But I know this important work will go on in the trusted hands of others."

As Prince of Wales, William has now taken up the mantle of pushing the royal limits on effecting change where the environment is concerned.

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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