King Charles III’s sister-in-law has been accused of a snub after failing to notice the prime minister of Malta trying to shake her hand.

Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, and Prince Edward, the king’s brother, have been visiting the Mediterranean island, which sits between Italy and North Africa, this week.

And they were warmly welcomed by Prime Minister Robert Abela and his wife Lydia Abela, with the four posing together for photos.

There was, however, one somewhat awkward moment when Sophie appeared not to notice the Maltese leader trying to shake her hand.

A clip of their interaction went viral on X, formerly Twitter, where it was liked almost 1,000 times and viewed almost 110,000 times.

The caption read: “MUST-WATCH: Sophie completely snubbing the Prime Minister of Malta! If THIS is the best diplomat the U.K. has to offer, they’re in serious trouble … not exactly the sharpest knife in the drawer, is she?”

The video showed in slow motion how Robert Arbela reached across Edward to extend a hand to Sophie while she appeared to gaze into the distance unaware.

The embarrassing interaction dragged on long enough that the prime minister took a small step closer toward her while leaving his hand out in an effort to get her attention.

There is no suggestion she intended to rebuff his welcoming gesture and after a few toe-curling seconds she realized and did then shake his hand.

Following the awkward moment, the couple appeared to have an otherwise successful trip. They visited Villa Guardamangia where and Prince Philip lived for two years while the late monarch was still a princess.

Philip was stationed in Malta between 1949 and 1951 as a Royal Navy officer before Elizabeth became queen in 1952 following the death of her father.

The royal family’s official account on X posted: “This week, The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh are in Malta to mark the 60th anniversary of the country’s independence.

“Their royal highnesses commemorated the bravery of the people of Malta during the Second World War, casting a wreath into Valletta harbor which suffered relentless aerial attacks by the Luftwaffe and Italian Air Force.

“In 1942, at the height of the attacks, King George VI awarded the George Cross to the Maltese population in recognition of their resistance, endurance and loyalty.”

Williams Brown is chief royal correspondent for Regalrumination.com, based in London. You can find him on X, formerly , at and read his stories on Regalrumination.com‘s

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