King Charles suffers another pen mishap as he signs book at Hillsborough Castle

13 September 2022, 15:09 | Updated: 14 September 2022, 08:06

King Charles III’s bad run of luck with pens continued today when a fountain pen he was using to sign a document sprung a leak.

The King was at Royal Hillsborough Castle in Hillsborough near Belfast, where he was signing a visitor's book ahead of a service of reflection at St Anne’s Cathedral.

But the king became visibly frustrated when the fountain pen he was using stained one of his fingers.

An aide rushed over to retrieve the leaky pen while the King wiped away ink from his right hand with a handkerchief.

“Oh god I hate this (pen)!” Charles said, standing up and handing the pen to his wife, Camilla, Queen Consort.

“Oh look, it’s going everywhere,” Camilla said as her husband wiped his fingers.

“I can’t bear this bloody thing … every stinking time,” Charles said as he walked away.

The moment was captured live on screens, with one viewer remarking: “How hard is it to give the man a pen that’s not leaking and a clutter free table?”

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Another commented: “Give that man a biro.”

It comes several days after he was proclaimed the new king, but as he signed the historic proclamation he motioned to an aide to move an ink pot off his desk which was described as ‘far too small’ to carry the huge document.

The fountain pen set he used to sign the historic document was a gift from his sons William and Harry.

A viewer said at the time: “Extraordinary to witness. King Charles a little flustered with the pen situation.”