Decades unable to end King Charles’ ‘ego’ as his ‘comment’ on model Penny Lancaster’s appearance ends with her surrendering

King Charles is the monarch of the sixth-largest economy in the world and yet, his ego still gets the best of him from time to time.

It is a known fact that he is really sensitive about his height, a worry that recently surfaced again, proving that even decades of royal decorum can’t entirely shield the king’s bruised “ego.” At 5’10”, Charles isn’t exactly short; he slightly edges out the average British male. However, now and then, he is humbled by other people who appear to tower over him when they stand beside each other. Such is the case when he recently stood next to Penny Lancaster.

At a recent event at Dumfries House, the 76-year-old monarch was reminded of his biggest insecurity when he met Lancaster. The 6’1″ former lingerie model had the King visibly flustered when she stood close to him, and it left the former with no choice but to play along with the latter’s subtle insecurities. The two met at the headquarters of The King’s Foundation to celebrate its 35th anniversary, but instead of the event itself stealing the spotlight, it was King Charles’ comment on the 53-year-old model’s height that turned heads.

“He commented on my height,” Penny shared with the Daily Mail‘s Ephraim Hardcastle before adding, “So I said, ‘I can do something about that,’ and took my shoes off… He held my hand as we walked along.” The gesture was undoubtedly gracious on Lancaster’s part, yet it also echoed how King Charles navigated his perceived shortcomings in the past, specifically the height difference between him and his ex-wife, Princess Diana.

Diana’s sacrifices to feed King Charles’ ‘ego’

It’s no secret that King Charles’ height has been a recurring source of discomfort for him over the years. It’s something the late Diana reportedly dealt with during their marriage (from 1981 to 1996). Standing eye-to-eye at 5’10”, Diana famously avoided towering over her husband. According to Eloise Moran in The Lady Di Look Book, Diana made it a point to wear modest heels during their public appearances.

“For years, Diana wore shoes no higher than two inches out of respect to her husband’s ego. Since he was the same height she was,” Moran wrote in her book. The choice, though subtle, was unmistakable. For the present monarch, it seemed to be less about physical height and more about an inferiority complex Diana handled with delicate care.

But while Diana’s sacrifices were done with the finesse of a woman respecting her husband’s fragile self-image, there’s no denying the biting undertones of what this truly revealed about their dynamic. It wasn’t just King Charles’ height that Diana had to step down for — metaphorically or otherwise.

Whether it’s Lancaster slipping off her shoes at Charles’ subtle admission about his inferiority complex or Diana lowering her heels, it’s clear that King Charles is not comfortable with being towered over. Is it for everyone or is this just applicable to the women around him? Because, if the latter is not the case, being around 6′ 3″ Prince William must be the toughest task the monarch accomplishes on a daily basis.