Queen Camilla Swats Bee at Arlington Tribute
Queen Camilla briefly broke formal protocol during a wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia on Thursday after a bee appeared to interrupt the moment of remembrance. The Queen, 78, was alongside King Charles III as they paid their respects at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier during the couple’s official US state visit.
During the solemn tribute, a military band played ruffles and taps before a silence, but the Queen appeared to react as the insect flew into her line of sight and she swatted it away before it moved towards the King, Hello Magazine reported.
The report said Queen Camilla then wafted with her hands in an apparent effort to shield King Charles, stepping back and briefly breaking formation as the ceremony continued. The visit included a wreath and a posy at the tomb, which has been guarded around the clock since 1937 and honours unidentified US service members from the First World War and later conflicts.
The Arlington stop was one of the final public engagements of the trip, which followed a series of high-profile moments for the King in the US, including when he recalled his 1970 visit to America with President Richard Nixon during the tour’s schedule.
According to the report, the King and Queen were received with a 21-gun salute and were greeted by Major General Ms Antoinette Gant and US chief of protocol Ms Monica Crowley. They also visited the Canadian Cross of Sacrifice and met serving personnel from the UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, before later attending a Virginia event marking the 250th anniversary of independence ahead of the King’s onward travel.
