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King Charles III embarrassed Prince William by inviting him to show off his "buff credentials" in a resurfaced viral video captured at a 2014 joint sporting event in London.
The video, which shows edited clips from Charles and William's visit to the British Sub-Aqua Club (BSAC) during which father handed the presidency of the club over to his eldest son, has been viewed over one million times since being uploaded to TikTok.
The video from the account "the.royal.watcher" has received in excess of 39,000 likes and 200 comments, many of which praise the pair for their sense of humor.
In the video, King Charles (then Prince of Wales) is introduced to the podium by BSAC chairman Eugene Farrell who described the royal as "quite buff" in his scuba diving days. William is then shown laughing as he explained to his father that "buff" was a compliment, being used as slang terminology for fit or muscular.
Not missing the opportunity to make a joke at his son's expense, Charles referenced the remark in his handover speech, saying:
"I do hope the club will go from strength to strength under its new and enthusiastic management and I know that my eldest will now demonstrate his buff credentials."
@the.royal.watcher King Charles embarrasses Prince William. They make such a funny duo ? #fyp #foryoupage #princewilliam #princewilliamdukeofcambridge #kingcharles #kingcharlesiii #princeofwales #royalfamily #britishhumour ♬ original sound - The Royal Watcher
The comment raised a round of laughter from the crowd causing William to hide his face in his hand before laughing it off himself.
"King Charles embarrasses Prince William. They make such a funny duo" reads the TikTok video's caption, drawing others to comment similarly on the pair's relationship.
"Luv the friendship they have as well as father and son," wrote one user.
"Double act duo, william looks so embarassed," another person commented, adding the laughing while crying emojis.
"Like king charles he really surprised me, didn't think he'd be like he is," a commenter said.
Charles wasn't the only royal to make a joke at his son's expense that day. William too referenced his eldest son, Prince George, who had been born just a year before, in his president's speech.
"It's a great honor to be here with my father to accept the presidency of the British Sub-Aqua Club, continuing that from my grandfather, as well..." William said. "I hope that one day my son George might follow in our footsteps...at the moment bath time is quite painful. I imagine as he gets a little bit older donning a mask and a snorkel might help to calm him down!"
Later in the day, William participated in a pool-based practice dive, donning a wetsuit and meeting with members of the BSAC and their program members.
King Charles is known for peppering funny comments throughout his public speeches. Earlier this year, the royal gave a speech at the Platinum Jubilee celebrations for his mother Queen Elizabeth II, opening his remarks with the words: "Your Majesty...mummy!" which caused a wave of laughter and applause from the crowd.
This is a line he had repeated throughout the final decades of his mother's life and was met with a chuckle of approval from her during the 2012 Diamond jubilee celebrations.
When Elizabeth died on September 8, Charles instantly became king and will be coronated in a Westminster Abbey ceremony on May 6, 2023. One of the new king's first acts was to designate his eldest son, William, as Prince of Wales, the title he had previously held for over five decades.
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.
About the writer
James Crawford-Smith is a Newsweek Royal Reporter, based in London, U.K. His focus is reporting on the British royal family ... Read more