Royal Criticized for “Tactless” Question to Gavin & Stacey Star Ruth Jones at Event

The Question That Caused a Stir

November 18, 2025—Queen Camilla has found herself at the center of a social media controversy after an awkward exchange with Welsh actress Ruth Jones during a recent royal engagement. The moment occurred on Saturday, November 14th, while the Queen and King Charles were visiting Cyfarthfa Castle in South Wales for celebrations marking King Charles’ 77th birthday.

As Queen Camilla, 78, met a line of Welsh celebrities, she shook hands with Jones, 59, the BAFTA-winning actress and co-creator of the hit show Gavin & Stacey. A reporter captured the brief, but cringeworthy, interaction:

While looking at the actress, Queen Camilla remarked: “Haven’t you lost masses of weight?”

Jones, widely known in the UK for playing the character Nessa Jenkins, reportedly laughed off the comment, replying, “Yes, I have, thank you! I’ve lost a bit of weight!”

Image Credit: Getty

Online Criticism of the Remark

The clip of the exchange quickly circulated online, where royal fans and social media users criticized the Queen for what many deemed an insensitive and “tactless” remark to make to a professional acquaintance.

Comments on X (formerly Twitter) included:

“What a thing to say to a complete stranger.”

“Really just shows her detachment from normal everyday conversation. You don’t ask a stranger if they’ve lost masses of weight.”

“What a horrible way to put it. Tactless.”

The criticism centers on the breach of social etiquette when discussing someone’s physical appearance, especially in a formal public setting.

Ruth Jones’ Past Weight Loss Journey

The context behind Queen Camilla’s observation is that Ruth Jones made headlines in the UK over a decade ago for losing nearly 60 pounds (or “four stone” in British measure).

Jones has been candid about her lifelong “battle” with weight, revealing in a recent 2024 podcast interview that she achieved her weight loss success using aversion therapy—a psychological treatment, often involving a hypnotherapist, to help break long-standing cravings.

Despite the past public nature of the actress’s journey, the Queen’s unprompted and direct comment has kept the moment in the headlines, overshadowing the purpose of the royal visit.