A reality television personality had a mortifying experience when he met King Charles at Buckingham Palace – but he revealed the monarch was “very nice about it”
Robin Cottle Assistant Editor Trendswatch
11:14, 21 Dec 2025Updated 11:28, 21 Dec 2025
A reality TV star had a mortifying experience with King Charles (Image: Getty Images)
A reality TV star who met King Charles has told how it went wrong – he was late, forgot his invitation and then infuriated royal staff with his casual meeting.
Former Made in Chelsea star Sam Thompson, 33, attended an event at Buckingham Palace for the King’s Trust – a charity supporting young people into work. But the day started off badly and rapidly went downhill.
He was late because his pal Pete Wicks had been helping him choose a suit and doing up his tie. He was then further delayed because he forgot his invitation, and he had to persuade Palace security to let him in.
By the time he arrived the meet and greet was already in progress and Sam introduced himself to the monarch by saying: “All right, mate.”
The TV personality then tried to improve the situation by calling the King “sir,” following it up with: “God, you’re not even a sir. Mate, sir, Your Majesty.”
Sam Thompson with his pal Pete Wicks (Image: WireImage)
Sam told the Mail on Sunday: “He was very nice about it, but the Palace staff behind him didn’t look very happy. I have to say, very soft hands our King has.”
It comes after someone who worked for King Charles spotted an extraordinary update in the the 77-year-old’s cancer update.
Former butler Grant Harrold, who worked for the King during his time as Prince of Wales, has said the monarch’s cancer update earlier this month signals a profound shift in how the modern monarchy communicates with the public.
On December 12, the King revealed that his early diagnosis and “effective intervention” meant his treatment could now be reduced. The update was shared as part of a video message for Channel 4’s Stand Up To Cancer campaign.
“This milestone is both a personal blessing and a testimony to the remarkable advances that have been made in cancer care,” the King said.
Sam says King Charles was ‘very nice about it'(Image: Getty Images)
But according to Harrold, the importance of the announcement lies not in its medical detail, but in the intention behind it.
He said: “He knows this will be picked up and followed around the world. So rather than making it about himself, he’s used the moment to help others. He’s used the attention and the headlines to remind every single one of us that we need to get checked.
“He’s done this in a very clever and carefully orchestrated way. He understands the power of headlines, and he’s used them for good.”
Since he stopped working for the Royal Family, Harrold has built a career as an etiquette expert, broadcaster and royal commentator. He offers insight into royal traditions and the family’s internal dynamics.
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