Skip to main content
Creamy banana nice cream in a bowl with toppings.
Jennifer Lopez at 2025 American Music Awards in stylish outfit.
Emma Stone at Annual Actor Awards looking unrecognizable amid rumors.

Celebrity

Fans Are ‘Embarrassed’ For Prince William And Kate Middleton After ‘Nightmare’ Situation Goes Viral

June 5, 2023 by Carrie McCabe
shefinds | Celebrity
Featured image

Fans are “embarrassed” after watching Prince William and wife Kate Middleton get caught up in an awkward moment at a public event—with one TikTok commenter saying, “This would keep me up at night if I was them”.

The moment actually occurred in 2014 during the royal couple’s first official visit to Australia and New Zealand; however, the video only went viral this week after being posted on the TikTok account @the.royal.watcher.

@the.royal.watcher #fyp #princewilliam #kingcharles #katemiddleton #princessofwales #princeofwales #williamandkate #princessdiana #royalfamily #royalfamilynews #breakingnews #uknews #thecrown #queenelizabeth #katemiddletonstyle #funnyvideos #britishhumour #fail Up Beat (Married Life) – Kenyi

Will And Kate’s Goofy Gaffe Actually Happened In 2014

We all wish that our most embarrassing moments would disappear from the minds of those around us basically as soon as they occur. Unfortunately for the Prince and Princess of Wales, the internet got ahold of one of theirs this week after nearly 10 years, with the clip of the incident being viewed over a million times on TikTok this week with more than 30,000 likes and over 400 comments, most of which noted that the royals didn’t just move the stuck curtain themselves.

house unit img
Women Are Swapping Their Boring Water For This Ice Pop Electrolyte Mix!
Prince William and Kate Middleton in blue outfits

The TikTok clip shows the couple unveiling a memorial plaque at the Air Force Museum of New Zealand at Wigram in Christchurch—or, at least, attempting to unveil the plaque. As William and Kate each pulled a cord to part a velvet curtain and reveal the plaque, the awkwardness set in after repeated attempts to open the curtain failed to work.

The Prince and Princess took it in stride, though: they both laughed at the snafu and a member of the delegation accompanying their visit saved the day by moving the curtain manually.

Prince William and Kate Middleton laughing during the inaugural regatta

Fans Comment: 'Well That's Embarrassing'

The goofiness of the situation hit TikTok audiences just right, catapulting the video into the millions-watched club within days. "They would have kept pulling that string until one of them won," read one comment on the viral clip. "They are so competitive." Another laughed, "They stood there forever pulling that string."

Some commenters remarked that, as royalty, the pair are used to having everything pretty much done for them—and that was perhaps the reason why the awkward curtain call went on for so long. "Can't do anything without help!" said one critic. "I'm just wondering how much longer until one of them thought of a simple solution," replied another. One TikToker brought it back to family history: "They [needed] Prince Philip who in his own words was 'the world's most experienced plaque unveiler.'" Indeed, commenters agreed, saying of Philip, "[William's] grandfather was the professional plaque unveiler."

Others thought it was all in good fun: "They knew, but they got carried away pulling on the string playing with each other."

One commenter wrapped it up with a joke: "They will blame it on Harry."

Author:

Carrie McCabe is a Connecticut-based writer, podcaster, and filmmaker. When she's not covering the latest in celebrity and brand news for SheFinds, she spends her time co-hosting a true crime/paranormal/history podcast, writing novels and screenplays, and hanging out with her awesome husband and goofy dachshund, Poe. Her coverage of celeb news and the best in shopping can also be found at Yahoo and other online platforms.

Kylie Jenner at the 2025 Met Gala showcasing elegant black tailoring.
Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce together at a public event.
Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner attending a formal gathering.
Bad Bunny performing at the Grammy Awards ceremony.
Angelina Jolie receiving the Trophee Chopard Award at a gala.
Selena Gomez at the 3rd Annual Rare Impact Fund Benefit event.
Brad Pitt with Ines de Ramon at the F1 World Premiere.
Queen Camilla with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle at a royal event.
Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift spotted together at an event.
Barack and Michelle Obama with daughters Malia and Sasha.
Britney Spears at the 4th Annual Hollywood Beauty Awards ceremony.
Savannah Guthrie hosting the Today Show in a lively segment.
Beyoncé and Jay-Z attending a high-profile event together.
Reese Witherspoon at the premiere of "The Last Thing He Told Me."
Meghan Markle with Prince Harry and Prince William at a royal event.
Hillary Clinton at the opening night of "Suffs" on Broadway.
Hailey Bieber at the Women's Wear Daily Style Awards red carpet.
Kaia Gerber at the 41st Annual Film Independent Spirit Awards.
Barack Obama speaking at the Democratic National Convention.
Meghan Markle with Prince Harry and King Charles during a royal ceremony.
Kylie Jenner at the 2025 Met Gala showcasing elegant black tailoring.
Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce together at a public event.
Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner attending a formal gathering.
Bad Bunny performing at the Grammy Awards ceremony.
Angelina Jolie receiving the Trophee Chopard Award at a gala.
Selena Gomez at the 3rd Annual Rare Impact Fund Benefit event.
Brad Pitt with Ines de Ramon at the F1 World Premiere.
Queen Camilla with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle at a royal event.
Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift spotted together at an event.
Barack and Michelle Obama with daughters Malia and Sasha.
Britney Spears at the 4th Annual Hollywood Beauty Awards ceremony.
Savannah Guthrie hosting the Today Show in a lively segment.
Beyoncé and Jay-Z attending a high-profile event together.
Reese Witherspoon at the premiere of "The Last Thing He Told Me."
Meghan Markle with Prince Harry and Prince William at a royal event.
Hillary Clinton at the opening night of "Suffs" on Broadway.
Hailey Bieber at the Women's Wear Daily Style Awards red carpet.
Kaia Gerber at the 41st Annual Film Independent Spirit Awards.
Barack Obama speaking at the Democratic National Convention.
Meghan Markle with Prince Harry and King Charles during a royal ceremony.