King Charles’ 2-word ‘comeback’ to American who tried impersonating him

His Majesty King Charles III is going viral. Known for his quick-witted responses, the British monarch truly delivered on Monday when he was impersonated by US comedian, Matt Friend. Matt was in attendance at the White House garden party during Charles’ state visit, and seized his opportunity when greeting the royal. 

“I’ve been working on an impersonation of you, I’m trying to study you,” he said, mirroring the received pronunciation tone of Charles. His Majesty quickly quipped: “Keep trying,” with a laugh. The crowd gathered around the pair also shared a laugh at this comment. Charles then added: “We’ll award you marks of merit.” Matt concluded the conversation by saying: “Thank you very much.”

Matt regularly mimics US stars and political figures and has impersonated Donald Trump in the past and he’s since shared the interaction with Charles on his social media feeds. The comedian was even interviewed by This Morning’s Cat Deeley and Ben Shephard about the experience and Charles’ cheeky reply. “I’m alive after impersonating a King to his face so I’d consider that a success,” he joked to the presenters. Matt also remarked that the monarch “didn’t miss a beat” with his speedy response. 

Royal humour

King Charles doesn’t take himself too seriously and is often seen sharing jokes with members of the public at royal engagements. An interesting feature at his beloved Tetbury home showcases his sense of humour perfectly. His chicken coop has been renamed Cluckingham Palace in a hilarious update. They even now sell signs in the shop so other people can rename their hen houses too.

Celebrities who have frequently met the monarch have remarked on his humour. English broadcaster and entrepreneur Sarah Beeny exclusively spoke to HELLO! at the time of the premiere for the King’s new Amazon Prime documentary, Finding Harmony: A King’s Vision.

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She revealed to us, about the side of the King on display in the series: “I don’t feel like we get to see him like this usually, to see his personality. He’s so funny. When I’ve met him, I’ve always found him to be just like this; he’s such a warm and funny man and it’s not always what you see or what people expect.”

Charles’ mother Queen Elizabeth II was also well known for her light-hearted humour. A case in point, in July 2013, the world was eagerly waiting for news of Prince George’s birth and when the Queen was on a visit to Wiggonby Primary School in the Lake District, the focus was on that. When one young girl asked her if she wanted the baby to be a boy or a girl, the Queen said: “I don’t think I mind,” but added: “I hope it arrives soon because I’m going on holiday.”