An Oscar-winning actress recounted a mortifying moment when she nearly exposed herself to then-Prince Charles at the 1995 premiere for the film that catapulted her to stardom
The then-Prince Charles was almost flashed by an up and coming actress(Image: Getty Images)
An Academy Award-winning actress has confessed she nearly gave His Majesty the King quite the shock when they first met at a film premiere.
Kate Winslet, celebrated for her roles in everything from The Reader to Titanic and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, was promoting one of her breakthrough films when she found herself in a receiving line to meet the then-Prince Charles.
The star had received an Oscar nomination for her performance as Marianne Dashwood in Ang Lee’s Sense and Sensibility in 1995, but the 20 year old hadn’t expected her film role would result in a royal meeting.
During an appearance on the American chat show Jimmy Kimmel Live, she remembered: “I sort of hadn’t realised that we were really going to meet him, and so I forgot about the fact that I was wearing a kind of a transparent lace outfit.
“And thank God I had worn a coat because as he is making his way towards me, I’m like, ‘Nipples, nipples, nipples, oh my God!'”
Kate shared the embarrassing anecdote with US TV host Jimmy Kimmel(Image: Randy Holmes, Disney via Getty Images)
Fortunately, Kate explained, a fellow attendee offered her a jacket to preserve her dignity.
That initial embarrassing moment clearly didn’t damage her standing with His Majesty – she’s now serving as an ambassador for an upcoming King’s Foundation documentary.
The film, Finding Harmony: A King’s Vision, is scheduled for release in early 2026. She revealed: “I share His Majesty’s passion for protecting our planet and building sustainable communities, so it’s been really rewarding to work with The King’s Foundation on this exciting project.
“I know audiences will learn, laugh and feel inspired by what’s featured in the film, and I hope the impact of Harmony will be felt in years to come.”
The inauspicious start led to a firm friendship(Image: CHRIS J RATCLIFFE, POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
The film will be available to stream exclusively on Prime Video in over 240 countries and territories worldwide early next year.
When she assumed her ambassadorial position with the foundation in June, Chief Executive Kristina Murrin CBE praised her appointment, stating: “It has been fantastic to get to know Kate and we are thrilled she was able to spend time with our students, alumni and Royal Founding President at The King’s Foundation Awards earlier this month.
Kate advised Meryl Streep about how to react to a royal(Image: WPA Pool, Getty Images)
“We look forward to working with Kate to promote our work over many years to come.”
Kate also disclosed that she assisted fellow actress Meryl Streep with Royal etiquette details during a subsequent encounter. She revealed to Jimmy Kimmel: “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.'”.
Kate hadn’t been aware she’d be meeting a royal on the day she picked out her outfit(Image: Tom Wargacki, WireImagevia Getty Images)
“She was like, ‘Okay, is it, like, a big curtsy? What do we do?’ I said, ‘I don’t know. We’ll just make the motion.’ She was like, ‘I don’t know if we need to do that.’ There was a big panic. We didn’t know what the form was.
“Obviously, we had to curtsy,” Kate added. “Did I go first? I think I did. 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.”
