Kate Winslet has revealed an awkward encounter she once had with King Charles.
Ms Winslet, 50, was announced as the newest ambassador for the King’s Foundation in June, joining the charity during its 35th anniversary year.
The Titanic star has praised King Charles as “really an extraordinary man,” noting: “He’s very, very kind and extremely empathetic and very, very generous.”
However, when Ms Winslet was 20 years old, an awkward incident occurred with His Majesty at the February 1996 film premiere of Sense and Sensibility in London.
Kate Winslet reveals awkward King Charles encounter after wearing ‘transparent outfit’
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During an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live on Tuesday evening, Ms Winslet disclosed that she had worn a see-through black lace ensemble to the event, not anticipating she would actually meet the royal guest.
The actress explained how panic set in when she realised the transparency of her outfit as King Charles approached.
“The first time I met him. Oh my goodness. He had come to support the royal premiere of Sense and Sensibility when I was 20,” Mr Winslet told Mr Kimmel.
“I sort of hadn’t realised we were really going to meet him. So I forgot about the fact that I really was wearing a kind of transparent lace outfit,” she continued.
Kate Winslet at the Sense and Sensibility premiere in 1996
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The actress described her moment of horror: “And thank God I’d worn a coat because as he’s making his way towards me, I’m like, ‘Nipples! Nipples! Nipples! Oh, my God.'”
Quick-thinking assistants saved the day when someone shouted “Coat!” prompting Ms Winslet to wrap herself up before greeting the prince with “Your Majesty.”
Nearly three decades after that memorable first meeting, Ms Winslet found herself in another amusing royal predicament in June this year.
The actress and Meryl Streep experienced pre-meeting jitters at St James’s Palace whilst attending the King’s Foundation Awards ceremony.
King Charles greeting Kate Winslet at the premiere
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Kate Winslet was 20 years old at the time of the premiere
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“There was a conversation about this. So, Meryl and I, as we were walking to meet the King, she says to me, ‘Do you think we have to curtsy?’ And I said, ‘Absolutely, we have to curtsy,'” Ms Winslet recounted.
Ms Streep, 76, questioned whether it should be “a big curtsy” and expressed uncertainty about proper protocol.
Ms Winslet took charge, volunteering to curtsy first to spare her fellow Oscar winner any potential embarrassment.
“Did I go first? I think I did,” Ms Winslet said, explaining her decision to lead by example. “But then I’m always trying to volunteer to go first because I feel like leadership is important and someone has to get it wrong, and it’s usually me that does, so I don’t mind taking the hit.”