Resurfaced 1997 Video Shows Prince Charles Blushing After The Spice Girls Awkwardly Kissed Him

In a riveting new Memoir, Melanie Jayne Chisholm, famous as Mel C from the girl band Spice Girls, recalled when she and her fellow female artists broke a royal protocol . The English singer looked back to the time when the girls kissed then Prince Charles at a U.K. gala celebrating the 21st anniversary of the Prince’s Trust in 1997. The event, to this day, remains a standout moment in their career.

Aside from Mel C, the band had other members like Geri Halliwell, Emma Bunton, Melanie “Mel B” Brown, and Victoria Beckham. The girl band arrived for their first-ever Britain performance when Charles walked in to greet them. But instead of following the royal protocol, in a true Spice Girls fashion, the women went ahead and kissed Charles’ cheeks with Halliwell Horner also giving him a part on his butt.

Chisholm went down memory lane with PEOPLE and recounted, “At the time, I was one of the shyer members of the band, so I was cringing inside as the girls were kissing Prince Charles. I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, I can’t believe they’re doing it.'” However, she later realized that it worked out in their favor as she believed that for this reason, “the world fell in love with the Spice Girls .” Meanwhile, she noted that now “Charles is our King, it kind of makes it even more naughty,” saying with a laugh, “Those naughty Spice Girls! ”

The history of the Spice Girls with Charles followed till the time Prince Harry and Meghan Markle got married in May 2018 as Chisholm, hinted the band might be the party guests. Their relationship with the royal family dates back to that meeting with Charles, despite them breaching multiple royal protocols.

Later, the girl band honored Princess Diana at an awards show less than a week after her death in August 1997. At the MTV Video Music Awards in New York City, the Spice Girls received a ‘Best Dance Video’ award and Chisholm dedicated their acceptance speech to the late Princess of Wales, saying, “We’d like to dedicate this award to Princess Diana, who is a great loss for our country,” as per TIME.

Furthermore, Charles and Harry, then 13 years old, hung out with the pop culture icons in South Africa. Accompanied by Nelson Mandela , Charles heaped praises on the Spice Girls , saying, “It is the second greatest moment in my life. The greatest was the first time that I met them.” Afterward, Charles, Harry, and Prince William all showed up at the Spice World premiere in December 1997.

The girl band’s camaraderie with the royal family is indeed memorable. In her memoir, Chisholm also delved into their difficult times, including her personal struggle with anorexia and depression. “I really want people to see behind the closed doors of what went on with the Spice Girls through those crazy years and beyond,” urged Chisholm.