ITV’s Julie Etchingham falls victim to Prince Charles gaffe during live election coverage

Julie Etchingham was forced to issue a quick on-air apology after making a serious mistake at a key moment in the election coverage, which was quickly picked up on by viewers watching at home.

Julia, a veteran presenter who just weeks ago hosted the pre-election debate on ITV and has also fronted events including the coronation of the King and the death of her mother, the Queen, followed in the footsteps of her colleagues at ITV News and Good Morning Britain, taking up the mantle as Britain woke up to the dawn of a new Labour era in Downing Street.

At 10pm on Thursday night, an exit poll predicted a landslide victory for Keir Starmer’s party and this prediction was borne out by the results in every constituency, with Labour making significant gains and the Conservatives suffering catastrophic losses, including the loss of former Prime Minister Liz Truss’ seat in Norfolk.

READ MORE: General Election 2024 LIVE: Results show landslide victory for Labour

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Coverage and reaction to the election dominated debates on the BBC and ITV and it was Julie who was on air when new Prime Minister Starmer had his first meeting with the reigning monarch, King Charles III, their conversation taking place in private, before Starmer and his wife were seen leaving Buckingham Palace.

And that’s what Julie, the TV news presenter, said as she commented on the key moment that saw things go terribly wrong for her, when she said: “To be greeted by the King’s private secretary, Lady Victoria Starmer, at his side. To be welcomed to see the Queen. To see the King, forgive me, to see the King being asked to form a new government and what a moment that must be for him as he contemplates what lies ahead.”

While Julia quickly corrected herself after her mistake, it didn’t take long for social media to react, with one user taking to X to write: “Julie Etchingham just announced that Kier Starmer is going to see the Queen, and she doesn’t even have the excuse of reporting at night…”