King Charles was 'cool as a cucumber' when shot at twice as prince in Australia in 1994

King Charles had only just completed a state visit to the US, which got under way just two days after the shooting at the White House Correspondents' dinner. While it might have given the monarch pause for thought before boarding a plane bound for Washington D.C. in light of recent events, it's worth noting that Charles has previously found himself staring down the barrel of a gun — and he may well be made of sterner stuff than many realise. Back in 1994, the then-Prince Charles was in Australia and preparing to deliver a speech when a young man, later identified as David Kang, 23, approached him brandishing a starter pistol and fired at the prince twice — fortunately, both shots were blanks. Remarkably, Charles didn't so much as flinch. Instead, he calmly glanced down to straighten his cufflinks, swiftly earning him the nickname The Prince of Coolness. Footage of the incident is available to view on Instagram for those curious enough to look. When reflecting on the moment, Charles remarked that a previous encounter with a charging bull elephant had been far more alarming, adding that it was a "bit silly to start shooting.", reports the Mirror US . Pauline Maclaran, co-author of Royal Fever and Professor at Royal Holloway, University of London, offered her take on the incident: "At the time the prince was described as being 'cool as a cucumber,' a very British expression I think! "But certainly he didn't panic and his handling of the situation was much admired," she added. Regarding boarding a plane and travelling to the US where gun violence is widespread, Maclaran doesn't believe the close call in 1994 influences the state visit. Charles shot at twice "I think there is little comparison with the previous situation which was designed to scare him but was never intended to harm," she said. "This time there is more of a real threat, although not necessarily to the King and Queen, but rather to those around Trump,' she added. As Maclaran pointed out, Kang wasn't trying to kill Charles, he was trying to get his attention, which he did, but rather than having a chance to speak to the royal, Kang was tackled to the ground and taken into custody." she added. As Maclaran highlighted, Kang wasn't attempting to kill Charles, he was attempting to capture his attention, which he succeeded in doing, but instead of getting an opportunity to address the royal, Kang was wrestled to the ground and arrested. "Bit silly to start shooting" Kang fired at the prince as an act of protest and was handed 500 hours of community service. And while Charles dismissed it at the time, later in life he admitted it was traumatic and something he'd prefer not to discuss. The King's mention of a "charging bull elephant" is an actual quote he frequently employs to minimise human-led threats.