King Charles III's horse picked the worst possible moment to get restless, during the national anthem of the king's first Trooping the Colour as monarch on Saturday.
Charles rode on horseback during the celebration of the monarch's official birthday, the first time this had been done by the British sovereign since 1986. And 1,400 soldiers, 200 horses and 400 musicians took part in the military parade on Saturday, though one horse in particular stood out from the rest.
The king's horse, named Noble and raised by Canadian Mounties, appeared restless and gave Charles such a difficult time it was suggested he should be swapped midway through Trooping.
A clip of the moment posted with the message: "King Charles' horse refuses to stay still during the national anthem" has been viewed 1.2 million times on TikTok and liked 32,500 times.
One comment read: "Horse is thinking, if I'm going to carry the king, then we're going to stand out."
Another commenter wrote that Charles handled it "brilliantly" before adding: "Well done Sir 👏 what a fabulous and perfect Ceremony. Congratulations to all involved"
A third said: "Ooooh I bet he's well peed off."
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♬ God Save The King (British National Anthem) - The Coldstream Guards Band
Major Vicky Fraser, a former commanding officer, told the BBC: "I think Noble has been a little bit spicy, and certainly, at one point, if I was the king, I would have asked for a quick swap."
She added: "When you've got a horse to sit on and control, that's just another complication, so I think he's done exceptionally well today."
The king later joined family on the balcony of Buckingham Palace where Prince Louis stole the show with a series of expressive poses.
The five-year-old royal saluted the crowd and held his fists in the air during the latest of his star turns at royal events.
The day of pageantry and royal celebration had a poignant backdrop as it was the first sovereign's birthday parade since the death of Queen Elizabeth II in September 2022.
A Buckingham Palace press release before the event read: "His Majesty The King will take the Salute as Colonel in Chief of the seven regiments of the Household Division, at the Birthday Parade on Horse Guards Parade, on Saturday 17th June 2023.
"Marking the first time that the reigning Monarch has ridden at Trooping the Colour since 1986, when Queen Elizabeth II last rode, The King will join His Majesty's Birthday Parade on horseback."
Jack Royston is chief royal correspondent for Newsweek, based in London. You can find him on Twitter at @jack_royston and read his stories on Newsweek's The Royals Facebook page.
Do you have a question about King Charles III, William and Kate, Meghan and Harry, or their family that you would like our experienced royal correspondents to answer? Email royals@newsweek.com. We'd love to hear from you.
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Jack Royston is Newsweek's Chief Royal Correspondent based in London, U.K. He reports on the British royal family—including King Charles ... Read more
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