Sir Karl Jenkins — the multi-instrumentalist and composer best-known known for his work in Soft Machine and writing “Adiemus” — has confirmed that, contrary to popular belief, he is not Meghan Markle, nor a jewel thief.
Jenkins’ clarification comes after images of the 79-year-old musician attending King Charles III’s coronation went viral over the weekend. He was invited to the ceremony because he had composed a piece of music that was performed by the coronation orchestra, but his shaggy hair and bushy mustache led some to wonder whether something else was afoot.
“I don’t know much about the coronation, but I do know this is obviously a disguise,” one Twitter user said, posting photos of Jenkins from the ceremony. “100 percent they’re going to try and steal the Crown Jewels.”
Others supposed that Jenkins may have been Markle in disguise. Since Markle and her husband Prince Harry stepped back from their royal duties in 2020, they have been a controversial topic in monarchist circles, and while Prince Harry subtly attended his father’s ceremony over the weekend, Markle skipped it entirely. But when Jenkins’ mop appeared on the screen, some viewers got ideas: “Meghan Markle’s disguise nearly had me fooled,” one viral tweet read.
In response to all of this, Jenkins uploaded a TikTok explaining the situation. “I understand there has been a lot of interest in me since I appeared at the coronation of King Charles III,” he said. “I was there because I’d written some music for the service, really. I was quite surprised that some people thought I was Meghan Markle in disguise. Someone wrote that I was there, whoever I was, to steal the Crown Jewels.”
With a smile, Jenkins then set the record straight: “I look this way all the time!… I’ve had this mustache since I was 18 years old. It was very trendy then. So that’s me. Nothing sinister about it or surprising at all.” Watch the full video below.
Jenkins wasn’t the only person with an out-of-the-ordinary appearance at King Charles III’s coronation — in fact, according to Monty Python’s John Cleese, there were many people in “silly costumes,” and the whole ceremony was “like a [Monty] Python sketch.” Nick Cave, likewise, described the coronation as “the strangest, the weirdest” historical event of “our age.” So, maybe a white wig and mustache disguise wouldn’t have been too out of place after all.
Sir Karl Jenkins sets the record straight on his attendance at the coronation. #fyp #coronation #disguise #karljenkins
Meghan Markle’s disguise nearly had me fooled… pic.twitter.com/MQtk25sO0W
— Dom Joly (@domjoly) May 6, 2023
I don’t know much about the #Coronation but I do know this is obviously a disguise and 100% they’re going to try and steal the crown jewels pic.twitter.com/uuchDtfi2S
— Edward DeRuiter (@edwardderuiter) May 6, 2023
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