King Charles III appeared in high spirits during his walkabout in central London after a busy day at Buckingham Palace on Wednesday.
The 76-year-old left tourists spellbound on a visit to St Peter’s Church to thank aid volunteers and supporters of the Disasters Emergency Committee.
The King’s visit comes amid Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s separate outings in the US. The Duke, in his latest interview, made his feelings clear on the Duchess of Sussex’s divorce speculation.
During his engagement in Notting Hill, the King has apologised to well-wishers for leaving them in the rain. The visit came as a surprise for security reasons, but passers-by were quick to recognise the 76-year-old as he waved to ongoers.
When meeting the King, one tourist from Texas said: “Oh my God, you’re kidding me.”
The monarch replied: “I’m so sorry you’ve been stopped coming along the street. Are you all trying to go somewhere else, are you? I hope you are not getting too wet.”
The American replied: “No, thank you so much. No, we’re not.”
Harry’s father asked the group if they were enjoying their time in the UK, to which one tourist replied: “Now we are,” making the monarch laugh.
The monarch joked: “Oh I don’t know about (that)!”
He added: “Anyway I do hope you make the most of it and have a very Happy Christmas.”
Describing the meeting, the tourist said: “That would never happen in the US! What a man, what a guy! I can’t believe he came over and stopped to talk to us.”
“We’ve been waiting for an hour but it was absolutely worth it. I can’t believe he came over and stopped to talk to us. It’s just like in a movie!”
They went on: “This is the most British thing that could ever happen in the UK. In the US, you wouldn’t get near anyone because of the security, but here, the King just casually wanders down to say hello. It’s amazing!”
