In a recent television appearance, acclaimed actress Kate Winslet shared a humorous and slightly nerve-wracking story from early in her career, involving a meeting with the then-Prince of Wales, now King Charles III.
The incident dates back to 1996, at the royal premiere of the film Sense and Sensibility. Winslet, then just 20 years old, attended the event wearing a black lace ensemble that was more revealing than she had anticipated for such a formal occasion.
“I hadn’t fully processed that we were actually going to meet him,” Winslet explained with a laugh. “So it completely slipped my mind that I was essentially in a see-through outfit.” She credited a last-minute decision to wear a coat with averting potential embarrassment. As the royal approached, her immediate thought was, “Oh, my goodness,” prompting a quick and discreet cover-up before she greeted him properly.
Winslet also recounted a more recent royal engagement this past summer, where she and fellow actress Meryl Streep found themselves in a different kind of predicament. Before meeting the King at a ceremony, the two screen legends engaged in a whispered, panicked debate over royal protocol.
“There was a whole conversation about it,” Winslet said. “We were walking over, and Meryl asked, ‘Do you think we have to curtsy?’ I was certain we did, but then neither of us knew the correct form.” The pair deliberated over the depth and style of the gesture, with Winslet ultimately volunteering to go first. “Someone has to get it wrong,” she joked, “and it’s usually me, so I don’t mind taking the hit.”
The anecdotes offer a lighthearted glimpse into the unexpected formalities and occasional faux pas that can accompany high-profile events, even for Hollywood’s most seasoned stars.
