During a solo visit to Northern Ireland on Wednesday, King Charles handled an awkward moment with bird poop with a shrug and just one sentence. The sovereign was greeting well-wishers along the main street of Newcastle, County Down.
That is when a seagull flying overhead let loose. As the mess splattered across the lower back of his suit jacket, it caught the attention of nearby press and security as well. But before anyone could make a fuss, the King brushed it off with a few words that had the crowd laughing.
King Charles took the seagull incident in his stride, claims a visitor
Irene Marting from the village of Dromara near Lisburn stood across the street with her sister Paula Leitch and watched the bird poop dropping on King Charles’ jacket. She later shared what Charles said to her when they finally met.
Speaking to HELLO! Magazine, Marting claimed, “We were talking to the King about the seagull and he said: ‘It’s well it didn’t land on my head.’”
Marting also said, “Somebody was trying to get him to put a coat on, but he didn’t, being hit by a seagull, it’s supposed to be good luck,” adding, “We’re so thrilled he’s come to Northern Ireland to see us, and it’s really nice to see him in Newcastle.”
Charles kept shaking hands and chatting with locals for hours, letting the white stain on his jacket be, rather than expressing embarrassment. Besides, just hours earlier, while helping pack grocery boxes at the Pantry Foodbank, the King had picked up a roll of toilet paper and remarked to volunteers that it was “very, very important.” Nobody could have guessed how handy a sense of humor would prove to be.
The seaside welcome was messy with the bird poop, but King Charles never flinched. It was just a reminder for everyone that royalty cannot escape nature’s whim — and so, Charles left with a stained suit jacket and a story that will follow him for quite some time.
