Czech President Petr Pavel provided the nation with an unexpected moment of levity today during a solemn commemorative event in Prague.
The incident unfolded when President Pavel, with all the grace of a bull in a china shop, inadvertently sent a soldier’s hat soaring during a ceremony meant to honour the country’s military history.
The stoic officer, as if challenging the laws of physics, managed to remain steadfast at attention despite having his hat unceremoniously lifted from his head.
The soldier’s unwavering composure might have put marble statues to shame.
President Pavel, who appeared genuinely startled by his flagpole faux pas, soldiered on with the event as though nothing had happened. In the video, he could be seen speaking to the soldier in question – presumably to check if he was OK.
Later, in a move that added a touch of humility to the hilarity, President Pavel issued a public apology on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.
He hilariously quipped: “It was certainly not an attempt to add a new element to the standard military procedure.
“I simply underestimated the weight.”
