Look, wardrobe malfunctions happen to lots of celebrities, causing them to show more than they bargained for. Look at Jennifer Lopez, who was just trying to celebrate her birthday when her skirt came off to expose her underwear during a concert. Or Jessica Simpson, who once split her pants in the middle of a show when she was not wearing underwear. The difference between these examples and Kate Winslet is that the Titanic star’s mishap happened in front of King Charles III.
Technically, Kate Winslet’s embarrassing moment went down before Charles was crowned in May 2023, and technically it was less of a wardrobe malfunction than a really unfortunate outfit choice, but either way, The Regime star regaled Jimmy Kimmel with the story of how she very nearly flashed the heir apparent, saying:
He’s a very gentle, personable individual, but he is the king, and it’s quite something to meet him. The first time I met him, oh my goodness. He had come to support the premiere, it was the royal premiere of Sense and Sensibility when I was only 20. And I sort of hadn’t realized that we were really going to meet him. So I forgot about the fact that I really was wearing a kind of a transparent, lace outfit.
This would have been back in the mid-’90s for one of Kate Winslet’s best roles, when she starred as Marianne Dashwood in Sense and Sensibility. And yes, while not quite as revealing as Florence Pugh’s sheer Valentino or other “naked dress” looks we’ve seen recently, I can see why you might not want to take an audience with the future king wearing this number:
It’s all fun and games until the king shows up!
Kate Winslet’s performance in Sense and Sensibility earned her a BAFTA as well as nominations for an Oscar and Golden Globe. That day, however, it was a couple of other “Golden Globes” that she was concerned about, as Prince Charles approached her. The actress continued:
Thank God I’d worn a coat, because as he’s making his way towards me, I’m like, ‘Nipples! Nipples! Nipples oh my God!’ And then someone just went, ‘Coat!’ And I went, [shuts coat] ‘Your majesty.’ I’m, like, basically covering myself in a cape.
I would imagine that feeling like you’re underdressed to that degree in front of Prince Charles would be similar to that nightmare we all have (right?) about finding yourself naked at school. There must have been so much panic and squirming before the Good Samaritan next to Kate Winslet reminded her she did, in fact, have an extra layer of coverage to work with.
One has to wonder if she hadn’t been able to cover up quickly, would she have gone on to work with King Charles III? She currently serves as an ambassador for the King’s Foundation and has met him again more recently — and more appropriately dressed.
If you want to see more of Kate Winslet (no, not like that!), she’ll reprise her role as Ronal when Avatar: Fire and Ash hits the 2025 movie calendar on December 19.