Royal lipreader reveals King Charles’ cold words about 13-year-old Prince Harry on family trip

King Charles and Prince William are said to have shown little sympathy for a young Prince Harry in a revealing moment picked apart by an expert lipreader.

The clip dates back to a 1998 trip to the Rocky Mountains, shortly after the death of Princess Diana, when Harry was just 13.

Cameras were already fixed on the family and one brief exchange has since been re-examined in some detail in the latest episode of Channel 5 series Lip-Reading the Royals.

According to forensic lipreader Nicola Hickling, the young Prince Harry turns to his father and says: ‘I’m so cold.’ The remark appears to prompt a response from Charles, then Prince of Wales, who is alongside Prince William.

Hickling suggests that Charles then says: ‘He has no sense. Of course it’s bloody cold. We’re in the snow.’

The comment appears to be directed at William rather than Harry, with Charles speaking about his younger son in the third person.

William is then seen to respond, with the programme interpreting him as saying: ‘Didn’t he bring a spare hat?’ Charles is then said to reply: ‘He wanted to wear that cap. I told him he was mad and that it’s very cold. He doesn’t make it easy for himself.’

The exchange continues with William adding: ‘Let him crack on. He’ll learn. He’ll probably get frostbite.’

Charles then appears to conclude the moment with a brief: ‘Perhaps.’

The moment is one of several featured across the series, which examines royal interactions from major public events including weddings, funerals and walkabouts. The focus is on what may well have been said when microphones were not present but cameras were rolling and the royals’ guards were down.

Other clips highlighted include King Charles apparently saying ‘f*** me’ and ‘this is boring’ while waiting in his coronation carriage.

The series also features an exchange involving Prince William and Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor.

In that interaction, following the funeral of the Duchess of Kent last September, a lipreader claims Mountbatten-Windsor said: ‘I’ve learnt from what I’ve done, but before I forget, and if I can, I’d like to ask you if you can forgive?’

The comment is said, rather tellingly, to have been met with a stony silence from Andrew’s nephew William.

A separate moment referenced in the programme includes Princess Catherine appearing to ask William ‘Are you happy?’ as they left their wedding in a carriage. The clip has circulated for years but is revisited here, this time with expert analysis.

The rise of lip-reading clips and TV shows is said to have prompted more than a little concern amongst some royal aides, with advisers warning that conversations can now be analysed and shared online within a matter of seconds.

What might once have been a throwaway comment during a walkabout or public appearance can now be slowed down, examined and posted online almost instantly, often reaching millions before any clarification from the Palace is possible.

Former royal press secretary Dickie Arbiter said that senior figures are now encouraged to assume that they could be observed at all times, particularly when cameras are nearby.

He’s previously warned that even brief exchanges can be taken out of context, especially when lip-reading is involved. Because it’s not an exact science and different experts may interpret the same footage in different ways.

Former communications director to the then Prince of Wales, Paddy Harverson, said the issue is relatively recent.

‘I left the palace 13 years ago, and back in my day lip-reading wasn’t really a thing, thankfully,’ he said, highlighting how quickly the landscape can and has changed.

As a result, royals are increasingly advised to keep conversations as neutral as possible in public settings, with the understanding that any remark, however minor, could quickly become yet another damaging headline for the royal family. And they don’t need any more of those.

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