Good trip? King Charles did well to stay upright after a stumble in Kenya. But he’s not the only royal flirting with very public shame, as these photos (and video clips!) show…

They are masters of decent public performance.

So it is all the more remarkable when the royal family – very occasionally – loses a little of their dignity.

No matter how well prepared they are, it can happen to anyone…

King Charles

King Charles came close to disaster last week when he tripped over a roll of artificial grass during his visit to Kenya with Queen Camilla.

Charles was being led from one man-made walkway to another at a Commonwealth War Graves Commission cemetery in Nairobi when his foot landed under one of the mats.

Footage shows the 74-year-old momentarily losing his balance as Camilla, 76, reaches out to grab him.

He quickly gets to his feet and smoothly puts on his sunglasses to continue the walk.

Kate Middleton, Princess of Wales

The usually elegant Kate Middleton made a rare mistake as she got into her car during a royal engagement.

The princess, 41, was accompanied by her husband, Prince William, 41, when they attended a charity event in London in September 2019 for their voluntary text support service Shout.

As the royals left the Troubadour White City Theater, Kate, who was wearing black block heels, appeared to stumble as she got into the car.

William could be seen reaching out a hand to support her, but it wasn’t necessary as the mother of three recovered quickly, and the two shared a grin as they got into their car to leave.

Princess Anne

When a man sees a princess in distress, it is only right that he comes to her aid.

However, when the Princess Royal slipped and fell while walking in front of crowds in Guernsey, bailiff Geoffrey Rowland fell victim to Anne’s infamous scolding as he rushed to help her up.

‘No, don’t do that, thank you. Grabbing myself around won’t help,’ Princess Anne said. “I’m perfectly capable of pulling myself up.”

An onlooker said: ‘Princess Anne looked furious. Falling over in public is bad enough, but what really annoyed her was being grabbed. The poor bailiff tried to do the right thing, but got spanked.’

Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh

In 2017, the Princess of Wales was sitting in a carriage at Ascot when Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, entered the vehicle and lost her balance, falling straight into Kate’s hands.

Kate’s mouth opened in shock as she braced herself for the fall of Prince Edward’s wife.

Luckily, we then saw both women laughing about the incident, while William and Edward smiled in the background.

Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex

If there is one royal family that likes to fall over without shame, it is Prince Harry.

Prince Harry’s three-day tour of Brazil on the final leg of his solo Diamond Jubilee tour in March 2012 was a demonstration of his energetic style and sporting skills.

The then 27-year-old royal kicked off his tour of Brazil with a one-mile charity run for Sports Relief with local families at Flamengo Beach in Rio de Janeiro.

After this, Harry played a hearty game of rugby with a group of local schoolchildren. The prince seemed to have enjoyed the game immensely and enthusiastically threw himself into the game – and onto the sandy floor.

Princess Diana

Diana, the late Princess of Wales, proved she was just like all of us when she walked up the stairs to the plane during a visit to Pakistan in 1991.

After reaching out and grabbing the handrail to steady herself after tripping, things went from bad to worse when her flight was delayed an hour due to a rainstorm.

Zara Tindal

Zara Tindall fell from her horse at the Burghley Horse Trials as husband Mike and daughters Mia and Lena watched in September 2019.

Princess Anne’s 41-year-old daughter was taking part in the event in Stamford, Lincolnshire, when she fell during a jumping competition.

Sheikh Moza bint Nasser Al-Missned

The wife of Emir of Qatar Sheikha Mozah bint Nasser Al Missned tripped when the heel of one of her shoes caught a drain cover during a visit to Madrid, Spain, in April 2011.

Her husband and the former King of Spain, Juan Carlos, who walked behind Sheikha Moza, appeared unresponsive as the graceful woman steadied herself with just one shoe left on her feet.

Prince Laurent of Belgium

Prince Laurent of Belgium wowed the red carpet when he arrived for the wedding of Prince Albert II of Monaco and Charlene Wittstock in the Grand Courtyard of the Prince’s Palace in July 2011.

Fortunately, the royal family was helped to their feet by a guard and was ready to resume the festivities of the Roman Catholic ceremony at a moment’s notice.

Queen Sofia of Spain

Queen Sofia of Spain learned the hard way that heels, a long dress and stairs are never a good combination.

When the Spanish royal family arrived for a state dinner at the White House in 2000, they found themselves in trouble, with President Bill Clinton and Sofia’s husband, King Juan Carlos, quickly seeking help.

Former First Lady Hillary Clinton could be seen looking on with concern.

Princess Charlotte

Although Princess Eugenie’s 2018 wedding was a modern fairytale, the stormy weather caused a problem for the younger members of the bridal party, including Princess Charlotte, daughter of the Prince and Princess of Wales.

The wind was so strong that morning that many guests struggled to keep their fascinators on their heads, and three-year-old Princess Charlotte almost fell over.

As they walked up the steps of Windsor Castle’s St. George’s Chapel, they were surprised by a sharp gust of wind. Fortunately, her older second cousin Lady Louise Windsor was there to help her get back on her feet.

Prince Philip

After colliding with one of his teammates, Prince Philip, the late Duke of Edinburgh, fell from his bicycle during an attempt at cycle polo in August 1967.

A good sport, he brushed the fall away laughing.