Veteran actor Denzel Washington seemed to get a bit tongue-tied in the presence of King Charles III during the Gladiator II premiere.
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Washington graced the red carpet on Wednesday night for the premiere of the action-adventure film, accompanied by his costars Paul Mescal, Pedro Pascal, Connie Nielsen, and director Sir Ridley Scott.
Denzel and his companions lined up at the Leicester Square Odeon, allowing Charles to greet each of them individually. However, when it was Washington’s turn to greet Charles, it looked like an awkward UK sitcom.
“I didn’t know if I was supposed to grab your hand or not,” Washington said as he took the monarch’s hand. “I’m just an awful … I’m a lovely man, you’ll see,” Denzel added, clearly at a loss for words. Finally, he managed: “I’m a lovely chap.”
However, Charles instantly shot back with a compliment for the Oscar-winning actor. “You’ve been in so many films, it’s fantastic.”
“Thank you, thank you,” Denzel graciously replied.
Meanwhile, royal family admirers were taken with the footage of Denzel meeting King Charles. They flooded the comments of The Royal Family Channel’s YouTube post of the moment.
“Seeing Denzel Star-struck meeting the King is humbling, you can tell he’ll never forget that moment,’ one royal lover wrote. “He loved Denzel,’ another fan insisted. “Denzel is humblingly star struck over the King. Both Legends, a third person added.
Why King Charles’ Meeting with Denzel Washington Had to be Solo
As you can see, Charles made a solo appearance at the Royal Film Performance of Gladiator II. Last week, Queen Camilla had to cancel events as she dealt with a chest infection.
Her Majesty was recommended to take a “short period of rest,” resulting in the cancellation of Camilla’s upcoming events until further notice.
Queen Camilla’s recent chest infection follows a series of health concerns within the royal family. In February, Buckingham Palace disclosed that King Charles III had been diagnosed with cancer.
Following his treatment and a brief respite, His Majesty resumed his public duties in April.