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David Lammy left viewers of news channels like Sky News wincing as he made a disastrous mistake in front of King Charles live on air. The deputy prime minister was tasked with handing the monarch his speech today (May 13), which involved bowing to the King, walking up several small steps, and kneeling in front of him while holding a cushion. Lammy then had to walk backwards down the steps to avoid turning his back on the monarch in a sign of disrespect.

But the Labour politician appeared to struggle slightly with the kneeling, stumbling as he decided which knee to go down on first while in his bulky robes and wig. Some viewers accused the King of "laughing" over the moment before Lammy was able to retreat after passing him the piece of paper containing his speech.

The moment soon went viral on social media, with one X user tweeting: "It is like a pantomime... David Lammy was the only one who got a laugh [...] over his ability to bend down and he almost fell. I smirked. I am sad."

Somebody else joked: "Oh the hokey cokey - knees bend, arm stretch rah rah rah. Can't even bend a knee properly!"

Another chuckled: "He thought he was Michael Jackson doing the moonwalk."

While another viewer quipped: "Oops, he's going to fall. King in hysterics - Lammy recovers and scurries away!"

Others supported Lammy's show of "respect" as he didn't turn his back on Charles and Camilla, with one tweeting: "Most people forget to do that even when receiving the honours from the King or the Queen as used to be the case."

"Mr Lammy reverts to tradition, and walks backwards when descending the Throne, so not to turn his back on the monarch in close proximity," somebody else echoed.