Woman who kissed King Charles at first public appearance since Queen’s death explains why she did it

The woman who planted a kiss on King Charles III’s cheek today has explained why she did it. 

As Charles greeted crowds who had gathered outside Buckingham Palace on Friday (9 September) to pay their respects to the late Queen, Jenny Assiminios pecked the new monarch on the cheek.

In footage obtained at the scene, Assiminios could be seen exchanging a few words with Charles before kissing him. Watch the moment below:

Speaking to CNN, Assiminios said the King ‘looked sad’ and she ‘couldn’t believe’ he was right there in front of her.

Explaining that she asked for Charles’s permission before kissing him, Assiminios shared: "I have seen him in front of me. I couldn't believe it and I said 'may I kiss you?' He said 'well, yes' so I grabbed him.

"I am very happy. Thank you God for letting me see him and kiss him."

Assiminios continued: "I love the Royal Family. Always I am watching them, buying souvenirs from [when] they are small babies to growing up.”

She also said the King was ‘lovely’ and that it ‘never crossed her mind’ she might one day get the chance to kiss a king. 

Charles was among the first to arrive at the Queen's side in Balmoral on Thursday, 8 September, when news broke that doctors were concerned for the monarch's health. Her Majesty’s death was announced at 6:30pm.

Hours after Assiminios and Charles’s brief encounter, the King officially addressed the nation following the death of his mother Queen Elizabeth II after her 70-year reign.

The new King started his address by saying: “I speak to you today with feelings of profound sorrow. Throughout her life, Her Majesty The Queen – my beloved Mother – was an inspiration and example to me and to all my family, and we owe her the most heartfelt debt any family can owe to their mother; for her love, affection, guidance, understanding and example."

BBC

Tearing up, he added: “In 1947, on her 21st birthday, she pledged in a broadcast from Cape Town to the Commonwealth to devote her life, whether it be short or long, to the service of her people.

“That was more than a promise: it was a profound personal commitment which defined her whole life. She made sacrifices for duty.

“Her dedication and devotion as Sovereign never wavered, through times of change and progress, through times of joy and celebration, and through times of sadness and loss.”