King Charles is easily one of the most recognisable people on the planet, which is why it’s hard to believe a photo exists of him in which he actually looks, well, unrecognisable.
As fellow royals and royal fans took to social media to wish the monarch a happy birthday (FYI: he turns 77 today), elsewhere online, an old photo of Charles resurfaced. In it, the then-Prince of Wales is dressed in a disguise to fool paparazzi who were following him on a ski holiday in Klosters, Switzerland.
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The photo, which has rarely been seen – trust me, I write about the royals daily and even I’ve never seen it! – was taken in 1980 and shows Charles with a fake nose, moustache, glasses, and a hat.
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Charles’ efforts to disguise himself didn’t go to plan, however, as photographs of the royal in the disguise made even more of a splash in the press at the time. Luckily, he was able to see the funny side of it, and even posed with the paparazzi when they returned the favour by dressing up themselves.
Tim Graham//Getty Images
This isn’t the first time that members of the Royal Family have used a disguise to avoid being spotted in public. Prince William and Kate Middleton previously wore fancy dress and wigs to a screening of Toy Story 3, meanwhile Prince Harry and Meghan Markle used Halloween costumes to sneak off on a night on the town when they first started dating.
More historically, Princess Diana and Sarah Ferguson dressed up as police for the former Duchess of York’s hen party and ended up getting arrested for impersonating police. Even the late Queen herself has gone out incognito to avoid being noticed. Princess Elizabeth, then 19, and her sister Princess Margaret, 14, enjoyed a remarkable night out together to celebrate VE Day, with the Queen later describing it as “one of the most memorable nights of my life.”
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Jade Biggs (she/her) is one of Cosmopolitan UK’s freelance writers, working across all sections including entertainment, beauty, body, and sex and relationships. She previously held the position of Features Writer, covering everything from breaking news and the latest royal gossip, to the health and fitness trends taking over your TikTok feed. Jade has a degree in journalism and has been a journalist and content editor for ten years, interviewing leading researchers, high-profile influencers, and industry experts in that time. She is a cat mom to four fur babies and is obsessed with Drag Race, bottomless brunches, and wearing clothes only suitable for Bratz dolls. Follow her on Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn.