King Charles' Words to Truss Have People Buzzing

An awkward greeting from King Charles on Wednesday is one indication of just how bad Liz Truss' four weeks in office have been. In her first weekly audience with the monarch at Buckingham Palace, the prime minister curtseyed, saying, "Lovely to see you again." At the same time, the king addressed her: "So you've come back again?" While Truss answered that it was a "great pleasure," Charles seemed to have other ideas. "Dear, oh dear. Anyway," he muttered in a now viral video exchange some are taking as proof that even the king is fed up with Truss' leadership.

Over four short weeks, the government announced $50 billion in unfunded and unpopular tax cuts, then saw the British pound drop to record lows. Support for Truss' Conservative Party has also crashed in polls, per Bloomberg. "King Charles speaks for us all," tweeted John Nicolson, a Scottish National Party MP, per the Guardian. "At least he won't have to endure her for long." Foreign Secretary James Cleverly, however, suggested the king's comment was less "political" and more "empathetic," per Politico. "He recognizes that all of us—everyone in the country—is dealing with a really tough winter ahead," Cleverly said. (More Liz Truss stories.)