After blurting out the wrong thing in a chat with the Princess of Wales, singer Paloma Faith decided to hide her embarrassment by leaving the conversation ‘in a very non-PC way’
There’s a strict protocol when it comes to interacting with members of the Royal Family. But at the same time, it’s very easy to nervously say the first thing that pops into your head when you’re actually confronted with a royal in real life.
That’s where musician and actress Paloma Faith found herself when she was introduced to Prince William and Princess Kate Middleton in a line-up after she performed at the 2023 Royal Variety Performance.
Speaking on her Mad, Sad and Bad podcast this week, Paloma explained that she found herself talking to Kate about her weight and how she had managed to spring back into shape after the birth of Prince Louis.
She recalled: “I said, ‘Didn’t you look good postpartum, Kate. How have you lost that weight so quickly?’ Before going on to chat to the princess about kids and stuff.”
But Paloma was feeling increasingly awkward as it dawned on her that talking to a future Queen about her weight might not be quite the done thing.
In her desperation to bring the conversation to a swift conclusion Paloma turned to the next person in the lineup, comedienne Rosie Jones, and managed to commit a second faux pas.
Taking advantage of Rosie’s ataxic cerebral palsy, a condition brought about by damage to the developing brain’s motor control centres that can affect a person’s balance and speech, Paloma saw the opportunity for an emergency exit: “I looked at her and said, ‘Can we just say that, because you’re disabled, we have to go, and you need me to help you?’
“Then everyone was, like, ‘Rosie said she needs Paloma to take her because of the stairs’.” Paloma sheepishly admitted that Rosie “helped me in a very non-PC way by allowing me to abuse and use her disability to get myself out of a potentially uncomfortable situation with some Royal Family members.”
The awkward exchange doesn’t seem to have harmed Paloma’s standing with the royals though, and Princess Catherine invited her to perform at her Together at Christmas carol service at Westminster Abbey the following year.
Paloma recently announced the birth of her third child, adding her thanks to the healthcare team who helped her through the “painful” delivery: “On Friday March 6th I had my third baby, a little boy,” she wrote.
“He was a bit early and ended up in the NICU for three days. The midwives and team around me were incredible.”
Paloma, 44, added: “Just taking it all slow. C sections ARE PAINFUL! He’s perfect and wonderful. Breastfeeding is hard!”
Her post got an immediate response from her friends from The Celebrity Traitors. Host Claudia Winkleman wrote: “Massive congratulations, brilliant news. All love,” while Alan Carr added: “Oh how wonderful. Congratulations darling!”
