Why King Charles' Accession Council Was Almost Overshadowed By A Pen

As with any momentous occasion in life, there is always paperwork, and King Charles III officially taking the throne is no exception. The new monarch had the task of signing the Royal Proclamation declaring him king on Saturday, following the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II on September 8.

As can be seen in a video posted by Bloomberg Markets and Finance, King Charles III sat at a small desk, pulled a pen from his pocket, dipped it into an inkwell, and set about signing two oversized documents. When he reached to sign the second, a pen box was in the way, and King Charles III — with a grimace look on his face — gave it a little push toward a waiting assistant, who promptly removed it.

When he was finished, the king re-pocketed the pen, leaving William, Prince of Wales, to ask for the pen box to be returned so he could have something with which to sign the papers.

Not even the following trumpet salute, or the continued mourning of Queen Elizabeth II, could distract the public's attention from the pen incident, as memes and observations have been appearing on social media. One Twitter user noted, "King Charles is just so DONE with that pen tray, leaving William hunting for one. Priceless moment in the #proclamation," while another remarked, "Couldn't they have got a bigger table?! King Charles, Prince William and the Queen Consort all having to work around the pen tray and inkwells squeezed onto the table about the size for balancing a TV dinner on."