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Say you're a leader charged with giving a speech about the economy and ever-rising cost of living making the people of your country's life ever more difficult.
Would you ever choose to do so while bedecked in jewels and sitting atop a golden throne?
It may seem an utterly absurd choice to us, but that's precisely what happened in the U.K. when Prince Charles filled in for his mother Queen Elizabeth II and gave an address to the country from the House of Lords.
And people on Twitter could not believe their eyes.
See a clip Prince Charles' speech below.
Prince Charles announces the government's top priority is to "help ease the cost-of-living for families," with a promise to "level up opportunity in all parts of the country" http://bloom.bg/3srLLZ0\u00a0pic.twitter.com/wUydQMvAvu— Bloomberg UK (@Bloomberg UK) 1652179407
The speech was part of the annual tradition of the State Opening of Parliament, at which the monarch reads the government's agenda for the year.
Queen Elizabeth is reportedly suffering from "episodic mobility problems" and was unable to deliver the speech as usual, so Prince Charles filled in for her, the first time such a thing has happened.
Among the government's agenda was a list of tasks meant to help U.K. families deal with economic challenges.
As the Prince of Wales read to Parliament:
"Her Majesty's government's priority is to grow and strengthen the economy and help ease the cost of living for families."
"Her Majesty's government will level up opportunity in all parts of the country and support more people into work."
Prince Charles also read out priorities meant to address healthcare funding, COVID-19, public safety and support for the people of Ukraine amid the ongoing Russian invasion.
But all of that was missed on Twitter, eclipsed by the bizarrely off-key visuals of the speech.
Bedecked in jewel-encrusted royal and military regalia while sitting atop a golden throne—a literal, actual throne—Prince Charles' looked like a fairy tale king as he pledged to help the U.K.'s—and Ukraine's, for that matter—less fortunate.
Twitter was not having it.
My brother in Christ you are sitting on a golden thronehttps://twitter.com/BloombergUK/status/1523977008262352903\u00a0\u2026— Alex (@Alex) 1652190319
The optics here are exquisite. No notes.https://twitter.com/bloomberguk/status/1523977008262352903\u00a0\u2026— Derek Thompson (@Derek Thompson) 1652184534
he announced from his golden throne encrusted with jewels— Marg Sabl Maneuver Enthusiast (@Marg Sabl Maneuver Enthusiast) 1652184618
The next time Biden gives a speech about reducing cost of living expenses, I want him stepping out of a life-sized Klimt painting diorama wrapped in a golden robe studded with rubies and emeralds. \u201cMy fellow Americans,\u201d he begins, rubies jingling, \u201cthese diaper prices amirite?\u201d— Derek Thompson (@Derek Thompson) 1652184937
i simply would have made this announcement from any other room, wearing any other outfithttps://twitter.com/BloombergUK/status/1523977008262352903\u00a0\u2026— rax \u2018leads with her crotch\u2019 king (@rax \u2018leads with her crotch\u2019 king) 1652208782
Man sits on a Golden throne while talking about the cost-of-living is so outrageously beyond parody i'm not sure even the Onion could add anything further to it.https://twitter.com/BloombergUK/status/1523977008262352903\u00a0\u2026— Friendly Neighborhood Comrade (@Friendly Neighborhood Comrade) 1652216644
I don't know about y'all, but for me nothing instills trust that a government will help address affordability like a promise to do so given in a room made of gold by an actual prince who is also covered in gold.https://twitter.com/BloombergUK/status/1523977008262352903\u00a0\u2026— Torrance Coste (@Torrance Coste) 1652216715
It's 2022 and we still have a first-world country where the leader sits on a golden throne talking about what he'll do to make it easier for the poor.— Fire Dave Gettleman (@Fire Dave Gettleman) 1652182864
I will never understand how in the 21st century we still have kings and queens\n\nActual living royalty who's abundance of wealth is provided by working class tax payers, who will then go on TV upon a golden throne to say how they will help poor people\n\nThis is absolutely mentalhttps://twitter.com/BloombergUK/status/1523977008262352903\u00a0\u2026— Dylan Burns \ud83d\udd4a\ufe0f\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6\ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\ud83c\udf08 (@Dylan Burns \ud83d\udd4a\ufe0f\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6\ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\ud83c\udf08) 1652207470
Look, i might be wrong about this. But he could probably use a *little* more gold lining while making an announcement of empathy for the struggles of the country\u2019s least advantaged.https://twitter.com/BloombergUK/status/1523977008262352903\u00a0\u2026— Sam Stein (@Sam Stein) 1652193304
Maybe this is just how the do things in the United Kingdom, but it might be time for the royal family's PR team to have a quick chat about optics before their next speech.