Coronation Viewers Misheard “Vivat Regina Camilla” In So Many Awkward Ways

The coronation brought the literal crowning moment for King Charles III and Queen Camilla on May 6. The ceremony featured all of the expected royal fanfare, including a choir singing the traditional Vivat acclamations, “Long live King Charles” and “Long live Queen Camilla.” The queen’s grand moment took on some unexpected levity, though, as countless viewers misheard the original Latin words “Vivat Regina Camilla” and caught some very different — and less coronation-appropriate — phrases instead.

Let’s just get it out there: The British pronunciation of “regina” rhymes with “vagina.” Unfortunately for the royal family, that means the viewers who misheard “Vivat Regina Camilla” all seemed to discern something involving “vagina Camilla,” from “I like vagina Camilla” to “pirate vagina Camilla.” One of the many people who heard the acclamations turned to Twitter to ask, “Seriously did no one think to give them a pronunciation of Latin that might be a bit more authentic and less embarrassing”? (Clearly no one did.)

A viewer who captured the moment on TV and posted it on TikTok demonstrated just how widespread the misperceptions were. “Please tell me you hear ‘I LIKE VAGINA CAMILLA,’” they wrote over the video. Sure enough, countless people did confirm they also heard it in the comments, writing things like, “Wth are they singing if not that … Can’t unhear it anymore,” and “I literally heard it and told my mum and she just laughed at me.” The TikTok soon racked up more than 2.2 million likes.

The accidentally awkward moment blew up on Twitter, too, as people shared their many, many takes on what the choir was singing. It was another hilarious Yanny vs. Laurel situation, as one viewer pointed out.

In spite of what so many people heard, the Royal Family Channel on YouTube gave a clear answer as to what the choir was singing. Alongside a video of the moment in Westminster Abbey, the description by Daisy Busel said, “King Charles and Queen Camilla make their way up the aisle of Westminster Abbey for their coronation to the rousing soundtrack of the traditional Vivat acclamations.” It went on to add, “After a grand fanfare, the ancient building was filled with the Latin words ‘Vivat Regina Camilla!’ and ‘Vivat Rex Carolus!’ - meaning ‘Long live Queen Camilla! Long live King Charles!’”

Even without the confusion about what the Latin words were, though, a handful of viewers noted on Twitter that a less anglicized pronunciation could have really helped the situation. “The anglicised prunounciation of ‘vivat regina Camilla’ came out sounding really awkward and funny,” one person tweeted, before noting the pronunciation “veevat regeena” is “not that hard.” Lessons for the next coronation, perhaps.