King Charles's six-word response after reporters kept him awake with boozy hot tub antics

A royal correspondent has given an insight into how King Charles responded to her and other reporters having a boozy night out while on a royal tour.

Jennie Bond, who is celebrating 35 years of working on the royal beat, explained that she and a group of other journalists covering the tour to Australia took time out to celebrate after a busy trip.

While the then-Prince Charles headed to bed after a long day, they partied long into the night, enjoying karaoke and an evening in the hot tub complete with plenty of wine.

However Charles was less than impressed with their antics, as he told them the next morning: "Was that you lot making all that bloody awful noise?" before adding a stern six word response: "You kept me awake all night!"

Ms Bond gave OK! magazine the details: "When you’re travelling with the royals and when you’re travelling with other reporters there are a lot of laughs along the way. One moment I remember was when we were flown to Fraser Island after a very busy tour of Australia with Prince Charles.

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"We all stayed in the same hotel and we journalists all did very loud karaoke in the bar. Charles had said he was going to come down, but he didn’t in the end.

"I have to confess that we reporters then sat in a hot tub outside under the stars surrounded by wine bottles having a lovely time. The next morning when Charles came down he said 'Was that you lot making all that bloody awful noise? You kept me awake all night!'"

Another trip that stands out in Ms Bond's mind was an altogether more poignant one, when she accompanied the late Princess Diana to Angola in 1997.

She elaborated: "It was so important to highlight the issue of landmines in Angola. It was something that the Princess cared deeply about.

"Both she and I pored over the facts before we went and for once, I felt like I was reporting on something really substantive that could begin to bring about change in the suffering of the people of Angola, many of whom had been maimed by landmines.

"So it was a real privilege to accompany the Princess on that tour and to watch her in that iconic shot walking through a landmine field."

There are plans for King Charles and Queen Camilla to return Down Under later this autumn, in spite of his continuing cancer treatment.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has confirmed that he is planning on welcoming them for a visit likely to take place in October and early November.

He said: "Australia is preparing for a possible visit from his Majesty the King to Australia later this year.

"The King has shown his compassion for Australians affected by recent natural disasters, just as Australians have shown compassion and support for the King following his cancer diagnosis.

"The King, Queen and members of the Royal Family are always welcome in Australia. My government is engaging with states and territories on options for a possible royal visit."