The moment King Charles was caught insulting BBC journalist Nicholas Witchell in microphone ‘gaffe’

Perhaps it was the cold weather that made Prince Charles snap, or simply that his wedding was only a week away.  Either way, the result was extraordinary.

Back in 2005 during a photo session with the press at Klosters ski resort in the Swiss Alps, the King was asked questions about his wedding to Camilla Parker Bowles which was due to happen the week after.

Surrounded by cameras, journalists and microphones, Nicholas Witchell, who had been the BBC’s royal correspondent since 1998, asked Charles how he was feeling about the upcoming nuptials.

After Charles gave his answer, his face dropped and he pulled a rather sarcastic looking grin.

He then murmured under his breath to Prince William and Harry: ‘Bloody people. I can’t bear that man. He’s so awful. He really is.’ 

Nicholas Witchell, BBC Royal Correspondent revealed in 2014 that the King had not apologised for calling him an ‘awful’ man

The microphones picked up his comment rather clearly, but whether or not the King realised that his scathing comment would be heard is open to debate.

William kept cool, calm and collected as he continued answering questions about the wedding, jokingly saying: ‘As long as I don’t lose the rings. I have one responsibility and I’m bound to do something wrong.’ 

The Prince was due to be a witness at his father’s wedding to now Camilla.

Aides suggested that said Charles was annoyed about William and his girlfriend Kate Middleton being photographed the previous day.

Paddy Harverson, Charles’s press sectary at the time said: ‘We recognise that we cannot stop photographers taking these pictures, but we hope every year that they will respect the privacy of the family and friends and their need to have a private holiday. 

Thanks to Prince Harry’s memoir, Spare, we now know that this was a particularly stressful time for the family with – according to Harry – both brothers expressing serious reservations about their father’s decision to marry again.

‘There were paps taking pictures all over the place all day.’ 

Mr Harverson then later said: ‘Nicholas was in the firing line when the prince was expressing his general frustration at the paparazzi and it boiled over at the first person to ask a question,’ he said.

‘It wasn’t personal. He does regret saying it. He really didn’t mean to take it out on Nicholas.’

Mr Witchell revealed in 2014 that the King had not apologised for calling him an ‘awful’ man, before saying that he had been doing his job properly. 

The reporter said: ‘There has never been an apology, and why should there be? He was probably quite right. You know, awful man.’

He murmured under his breath to Prince and Harry: ‘Bloody people. I can’t bear that man. He’s so awful. He really is’

William kept calm as he continued answering questions about the wedding, jokingly saying: ‘As long as I don’t lose the rings. I have one responsibility and I’m bound to do something wrong’

Mr Witchell and Charles had further run-ins after the incident, most notably during a environmental fundraiser in Washing DC ten years later. 

The reporter asked the King why he ‘still cared so much’ about environmental issues, to which Charles replied: ‘Well, I’ll turn it round the other way.

‘I think you’d be more surprised if I didn’t care about these things.

‘But I think particularly in terms of what I’ve been talking about now, there’s an awful lot to worry about.’

Charles then hurried into his car and left.