King Charles left theatregoers astonished when he made an unexpected appearance at a sold-out performance of Shakespeare's The Tempest at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon. The monarch was met with cheers and applause as he took his seat among the excited audience on Friday evening.
Royal surprise at Stratford-upon-Avon
The King attended the Royal Shakespeare Company's production starring Sir Kenneth Branagh. Upon arrival, he was greeted by the Lord Lieutenant of Warwickshire, Tim Cox, and the RSC's co-artistic directors, Daniel Evans and Tamara Harvey.
Director reveals King's reaction
Tamara Harvey, who sat beside King Charles during the performance, disclosed that the King was "laughing away" next to her. "I think he genuinely enjoyed it," she added. Daniel Evans noted the King's impressive knowledge of actors, saying: "When Guy Henry came on, who plays Stephano, he reached over to me and said 'Is that Guy Henry?' I was just astonished at his knowledge of actors. You get the impression he's a true enthusiast of the theatre."
Audience and interval highlights
Excited crowd members peered down from the dress circle to catch a glimpse of the King, while others in the stalls captured the moment on their phones. During the interval, the King was handed a drink before visiting the RSC's in-house costume department. He admired a crown used in last year's production of Edward II, touched the fabric of a dress worn by Dame Judi Dench in All's Well That Ends Well (2003), marvelled at David Tennant's robe from Richard II (2013), and saw a costume worn by Sir Antony Sher in Richard III (1984). Describing the costumes as "brilliant", the King's passion for theatre was evident throughout the evening.
