Rita Ora’s feet and fingers went numb when she first met King Charles.
Rita Ora’s ‘severe’ anxiety left feet and fingers numb when she first met British royal
The I Will Never Let You Down singer first rubbed shoulders with the monarch at the Prince’s Trust Celebrate Success Awards ceremony at the London Palladium in 2016, but all Rita can recall from the moment is that she felt “severe” anxiety and like she was “going to faint”.
She told The Sun newspaper: “2016 was the first time I met His Royal Highness. He is so lovely – all of the Royal Family are.
“I look at the photos and all I see is anxiety. I was so anxious back then and I covered it so well.
“I didn’t have the tools. I didn’t do therapy and all that.
“All I remember was not the performance, or meeting His Royal Highness, but the fact that my feet and my fingers were numb and I felt like I was going to faint.”
Looking back at the event, Rita admits it is “insane” that she was able to work while enduring such severe anxiety.
She added: “My anxiety and my panic were so severe.
“After that, I knew I needed to really go and work on myself.
“It was insane how I was working like that. I thought it was normal.”
But the 35-year-old star – who is married to Taika Waititi – now feels in a “really good place” in her life.
She said: “I am content. Of course, I am so happy and I am in love, but I think it’s also just experience and understanding what’s important.
“I just wish I’d got to this point when I was younger.”
Rita is now a stepmother to Taika Waititi’s children, Te, 13, and Matewa, 10, and she recently admitted the role has changed her perspective on life.
Earlier this year, she told The Sun: “It’s really easy. We wake up, we work out together with the kids running on the treadmills. It’s a family affair.
“I have to say it’s been a real eye-opener to understand that sometimes there’s more to life than what you care about in that moment. I’ve realised there’s so much more, so (becoming a stepmum) did give me that.”
