A candid moment between rock legend Rod Stewart and King Charles III has sparked international attention after the musician appeared to refer to President Donald Trump as a "little rat bag" during a backstage greeting at a high-profile charity event in London.
The exchange occurred on Monday, May 11, at the Royal Albert Hall during the 50th anniversary celebration of The King's Trust charity. A viral video clip captured by Rebecca English, the Daily Mail's royal editor, shows Stewart greeting the 77-year-old monarch alongside his Faces bandmate Ronnie Wood.
In the footage, the 81-year-old Stewart tells King Charles, "May I say well done in the Americas. You were superb. Absolutely superb. You put that little rat bag in his place!" The comment appeared to reference the king's recent state visit to the United States, which took place from April 27 to April 30.
The king appeared to chuckle at Stewart's remark before moving on to speak with Wood. Representatives for the White House, Buckingham Palace, and Stewart have not yet commented on the exchange.
The gala honored alumni, ambassadors, patrons, and volunteers from the King's Trust, which the monarch founded in 1976 to support vulnerable young people across the United Kingdom. The event, presented by British television hosts Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly, drew a star-studded guest list including George and Amal Clooney, Rita Ora, and Lily Collins.
Stewart's comment reflects a dramatic shift in his relationship with the 79-year-old president. Prior to the 2016 election, the rocker described Trump as a personal friend and Florida neighbor. However, he has since become increasingly critical of both Trump's first and second administrations.
In a June 2025 interview with the Radio Times, Stewart explained his changed perspective. "I'm not a great fan of Trump. I knew him very, very well. I used to go to his house," Stewart said. "I live literally half a mile away... We're both on the beach. I used to go to his Christmas parties. He's always been a bit of a man's man. I liked him for that. But he didn't, as far as I'm concerned, treat women very well. But since he became President, he became another guy. Somebody I didn't know."
Stewart continued, "I can't [consider him a friend] any more. As long as he's selling arms to the Israelis — and he still is. How's that war ever gonna stop? And we [the British] should stop selling them as well."
The royal visit Stewart praised included significant diplomatic moments. King Charles and Queen Camilla attended a state dinner at the White House, and on April 28, the king became only the second member of the British royal family to address Congress, where he spoke about climate change and the recent White House Correspondents' Dinner shooting.
The visit occurred against a backdrop of royal family controversy. The king's brother, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, was arrested on February 19 on suspicion of misconduct in public office for allegedly passing confidential information to late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein during his time as a United Kingdom trade envoy. Mountbatten-Windsor has not entered a plea. Epstein died by suicide at age 66 in August 2019 after being arrested on federal sex crimes charges.
The backstage encounter at the Royal Albert Hall represents the latest instance of celebrity commentary on the current administration, though few have done so in such direct proximity to foreign heads of state. The incident underscores the complex intersection of entertainment, politics, and international diplomacy in the modern era.
