Royal visit to South Wales includes an awkward moment at King Charles’s birthday event
During a visit to South Wales for King Charles’s 77th birthday celebrations at Cyfarthfa Castle on 14 November, Queen Camilla made a comment that left a well-known actress taken aback.
The King and Queen were meeting Welsh personalities when the Queen, 78, greeted the actress and remarked, “Haven’t you lost masses of weight?” A reporter from the Daily Mail caught the exchange. The actress, who first became famous for co-writing and starring in the British comedy Gavin and Stacey, laughed politely and replied, “Yes, I have, thank you. I’ve lost a bit of weight.”
She has spoken publicly for years about her weight loss, which first made headlines in 2011 when she shed nearly four stone. In a 2024 podcast interview, she credited hypnotist Paul McKenna and what she called “aversion therapy,” saying he helped her break her dependence on chocolate. She explained to Table Manners hosts Jessie Ware and her mother Lennie that she has long dealt with weight issues, saying she had been in “a battle” with it for as long as she could remember.
The moment between the Queen and the actress has sparked fresh interest in her story, as well as discussion about the risks of commenting on someone’s appearance in public settings.
