Kate Winslet reveals she nearly flashed King Charles III when they first met 30 years ago

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Kate Winslet shared a story about almost having an embarrassing wardrobe malfunction when she met King Charles III around 30 years ago at the premiere of the movie Sense and Sensibility.

The 50-year-old British actress was only 20 when she starred in the 1995 romantic comedy. She recently shared that she was very nervous meeting Prince Charles (now King Charles III) at the film’s royal premiere.

Kate was thrilled about meeting the King, but then she suddenly realized her see-through lace dress wasn’t providing much coverage and she could be seen through it.

She told Jimmy Kimmel that she first met the King when she was just 20 years old, at the royal premiere of ‘Sense and Sensibility.’ She described the meeting as a memorable experience.

‘And I didn’t realise that we were actually really going to meet him. 

I completely forgot I was wearing a see-through lace top, and thankfully I had a coat on! When I saw someone walking towards me, I panicked, realizing my nipples were visible and thinking, ‘Oh my gosh!’

Someone shouted ‘coat!’ and I immediately wrapped mine around myself, replying, ‘Your Majesty’.

‘I was basically covering myself in a cape and trying to hide my nipples.’

Kate shared that she and Meryl Streep, along with David Beckham, were all a bit nervous when they met the King earlier this year.

Kate Winslet, known for her role in Titanic, and Meryl Streep, famous for Mamma Mia!, were invited to St James’s Palace after becoming ambassadors for King Charles III’s Foundation.

Meryl and I were talking while walking to meet the King, and she asked if we needed to curtsy. I replied that, of course, we did.

She asked whether we were supposed to do a deep curtsy or a shallow one, and I honestly didn’t know. We weren’t sure of the proper etiquette, but we knew we definitely had to curtsy.

I believe I was the first to go. I volunteered because taking initiative is important, and I was happy to go first, even if I made mistakes. Someone needed to step up, and I didn’t mind being that person.

‘Meryl was nervous, he is a very gentle, personable individual though and he is the King’. 

Kate’s public appearance follows news that she’s directing for the first time with the project, Goodbye June.

The actress is making her first film as a director, and cameras are currently rolling in London. She’s working with a fantastic cast, including Andrea Riseborough, Toni Collette, and Timothy Spall.

The new Netflix series is a modern family drama focusing on siblings who are estranged but forced to reunite when faced with a difficult situation.

The actress’s son, 21-year-old Joe Anders (whose father is famed Bond director Sam Mendes), actually wrote the screenplay, making this a very personal project for her.

Kate, praised for her performance as Lee Miller, a model turned war photographer in the 2023 film Lee, proved she isn’t giving up acting and also appeared in the production.

Kate explained to Jimmy that she had originally planned to produce and star in the project as Julia. They were about to hire a director when she realized she wanted to direct it herself. She told her son, Joe, that she’d love to take on the directing role.

As a creative, it’s always a delicate balance when you share your work. Usually, once I hand something over to a director, it’s their interpretation from then on. But with this particular piece, I really wanted the artist himself to experience it first, to connect with it on his own terms. It wasn’t about giving control away; it was about him seeing and feeling what I’d put into it.

Kate shared that she and her son, who wrote the screenplay at 19 while at film school, had a smooth working relationship and didn’t argue during filming.

We were getting to know each other while working together. We avoided arguments and both learned to communicate more carefully. Eventually, I finished my first feature film.

Oh my gosh, did you hear what she said on Elizabeth Day’s podcast? Apparently, people in Hollywood were practically begging her to direct! They were saying it could actually change things, shake up the whole male-dominated system. It’s like, finally someone gets it! She’s so talented, it makes perfect sense she could be the one to do it. I’ve been saying it for years! It’s not just about her making a movie, it’s about shifting the entire power dynamic, and they know it!

Kate explained that she often gets asked on film sets why she isn’t directing. She finds the question frustrating and repeatedly asks people to stop bringing it up.

I haven’t pursued it because it requires a significant time commitment and is a long-term undertaking. Having a family, especially Mia who I had when I was 25, made it impossible for me to even consider it.

I’m increasingly aware that by not speaking up, especially when we’re trying to improve things for everyone, I feel like I’m failing other women. It’s something I’m starting to feel quite strongly.

Her children have followed her into the industry.

Joe acted with his mother in the film Lee, and previously appeared in the acclaimed war movie 1917, which was directed by his father.

Oh my gosh, and it gets even BETTER! Kate’s daughter, Mia – you might not know, her dad is Kate’s first husband, the amazing Jim Threapleton – she’s an actress too! And she’s good. Seriously, she was incredible in ‘I Am Ruth’ alongside her mom, and it even won a BAFTA! I’m just so proud and excited to see what she does next, following in her mother’s footsteps!

Kate has an 11-year-old son named Bear with her third husband, Edward Abel Smith, who is Sir Richard Branson’s nephew.

Goodbye June, which is described as a ‘touching, humorous drama’, also stars Dame Helen Mirren.

It’s set to hit theatres on December 12 before it begins streaming on Netflix on December 24.

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2025-11-19 14:35