Being asked to sit in a chair to get weighed? And getting fan mail from
the future king? These celebs are spilling their thoughts after meeting King Charles!
Rod Stewart is no stranger to hanging with royalty, and, over the decades,
he's built quite a special friendship with King Charles. Case in point:
the British rocker was asked to headline Charles' 60th birthday party in 2008, per NBC News.
He's also been a longtime ambassador for the Prince's Trust, and in June 2022,
he was invited to play at the queen's Platinum Jubilee concert. While promoting his Jubilee
performance, the singer told "BBC Breakfast" just how tight he is with Britian’s royals,
saying that the Queen’s been so much a part of his life.
When it comes to Charles? Well, he’s more like a BFF. He told the “BBC Breakfast” that even
his wife loves Charles. The praise continued after Charles' coronation, as Stewart told
Scottish Daily Express he thinks his friend will make a great king. He told the outlet,
He later added that he wants Charles to take it all in and really enjoy it explaining that he
thinks Charles will take on the role as King very well considering he’s trained for it.
Sir Ben Kingsley may best be known for his work as an actor,
but he's equally passionate about a project off-screen:
the Prince's Trust. In fact, he's been an ambassador for the trust for over 20 years.
According to its website, the Prince's Trust was founded in 1976 by King Charles after he left the
Royal Navy and decided to use his severance pay to give back to those in need. Focusing on those
between 9 and 30 years old, the trust provides resources and education to help disadvantaged
youth enter the workforce, and it had reportedly helped over 1 million people by 2020.
Other famous ambassadors include Benedict Cumberbatch and Helen Mirren, but it was
Kingsley who gushed about the charity and its founder during its 40th anniversary
celebration in 2016. Praising the king's initiative, he told guests, per MailOnline,
Sharing how great it was to meet some of the trust's recipients at the party,
Kingsley concluded by praising the king's devotion to helping others.
Actor Richard E. Grant, whom you may recognize from hits like "Downton Abbey" and "Gosford
Park," had a heartbreaking 2021, as his wife, Joan Washington, died of
lung cancer that September. As he tweeted, the loss rocked him at his core. He wrote,
However, he made sure to thank fans for all of the love and support they
were giving him and noted how the sheer volume had overwhelmed him.
Among those offering their condolences was one surprising person: King Charles. As
the actor later revealed, Charles and Camilla actually visited him and his
wife after learning of her diagnosis. Recalling the encounter, he tweeted,
He also wrote about their meeting in his memoir, "A Pocketful of Happiness," in which he dubbed
Charles the most gracious guest who spoke with Washington non-stop for half an hour. He wrote,
What's more, Grant shared how Charles sent Washington a "two-page, handwritten letter,
full of love, compassion, empathy and encouragement,"
and arrived at their home with a bag of mangos and roses from his garden.
"Morning everyone! *taps wand* Good morning everyone! Good morning Professor Sprout!"
British actor Miriam Margolyes may best be known to American audiences for playing Professor Sprout
in the Harry Potter movies but King Charles is a fan of her more serious work. Back in 1998,
she recorded an audiobook version of Charles Dickens' "Oliver Twist," and the then-prince liked
it so much that he wrote her what, she told Metro UK, could only be described as a "fan letter." She
was then invited to meet him at Sandringham Palace at a dinner party, and, as she told This Morning,
he immediately showed off his humorous side with a memorable exchange over a ...chair. She recalled,
Turns out, the chair was used by King Edward VII to weigh guests
before and after dinner and, if they hadn't gained weight,
he thought he had failed. Clarifying that Charles didn't actually weigh her, she added,
"He is a very sweet, good man, and I hate it when
people say horrible things and… and try and denigrate any of the royal family."
Indeed, she told the Mirror that, after that first letter,
she and Charles never stopped writing to one another. She gushed,
Alan Titchmarsh has made a name for himself as a star gardener with his own successful show,
"Love Your Garden," which has been running since 2011, and a slew of gardening books.
He also has a long-running royal connection and had spent considerable time with the late queen,
per The Telegraph, as well as King Charles. In fact, as he revealed in October 2022, per Hello!,
he was actually with Charles the night before the queen's death as they dined at Dumfries House.
While promoting his new book, "The Gardener's Almanac:
A Treasury of Wisdom and Inspiration Through the Year," Titchmarsh briefly
touched on his relationship with the king, telling the outlet,
Titchmarsh was also asked about his decades-long friendship with Charles
by The Times and admitted he won't be mad if he doesn't see the king for a while.
He then went on to praise the king as a good person and hard worker and
slammed social media for giving him such a hard time. He argued,
Carol Vorderman may not be a household name in the U.S., but across the pond,
she just celebrated 40 years as a prominent TV personality. She's also been called "the
sexiest woman alive," and, according to her Instagram, she is an ardent supporter
of Britain's monarchy. Posting a slideshow of images featuring King Charles through the years,
Vorderman told her over 277,000 followers that she's certain Charles will be a great
king. Why? Because, as she noted, he was one of the first people to
speak up about environmental issues and he's spearheaded the Prince's Trust for decades.
Vorderman, who's an ambassador for the trust, praised the charity for changing
young people's lives and shared her well wishes with the new monarch, writing,
The TV host went on to argue that most people don't know the real Charles.
Setting the record straight, she shared what kind of person she thinks he is, writing,
British journalist Sir Trevor McDonald had the opportunity to meet and interview King
Charles in 2006 while shooting a documentary called "The Prince of Wales Up Close." The film
celebrated the 30th anniversary of the Prince's Trust and during their in-depth conversations,
McDonald got to know and be impressed by the future king. As he told "Good Morning
Britain" following Charles' coronation, he was particularly drawn to Charles'
commitment to the environment, as well as to his extensive knowledge of the matter. He mused,
McDonald also recalled one poignant moment from the shoot during which
Charles spoke candidly about being misunderstood. The journalist shared,
The journalist added that he sees the king's commitment and thinks it's a great asset, saying,
In March 2020, celebrity chef Ainsley Harriott was dubbed a Member of the Order of the British
Empire, also known as MBE, by King Charles. According to Britain's Cabinet Office,
an MBE is granted for "achievement or service in and to the community which is outstanding
in its field and has delivered sustained and real impact," and Harriott was recognized for
his work as a chef and broadcaster. During their meeting at Buckingham Palace, the pair appeared
to get on exceptionally well and they were snapped having a serious laugh, per Metro UK.
The light-hearted moment left many wondering what Harriott and Charles had been chatting about,
and the famed chef offered some insight during a 2022 appearance on "Lorraine." Harriott gushed,
He then revealed that they spoke briefly about potentially launching a program in
Scotland that would teach kids about eating healthy and show them how to
cook. And while he admitted to being nervous, he praised Charles for being
the ultimate host, noting,
"He makes you feel relaxed."
Welsh actor Luke Evans, who recently appeared in "Nine Perfect Strangers," has had the opportunity
to meet King Charles on a number of occasions, and each one has been special. An ambassador for the
Prince's Trust, Evans was also asked to narrate the 2019 TV movie "Charles: Fifty Years a Prince."
He opened up about his royal encounters during a 2022 appearance on "Good Morning Britain."
Telling viewers that "it's always been a very enjoyable experience," he honed in on what he
liked most about the royal and praised the king's knack for making people feel seen. He shared,
Evans also applauded Charles for his charity work and for helping
over a million people through the Prince's Trust,
while also highlighting his ability to find "common ground" with anyone he meets.
"I don't like his feet."
Drew Barrymore had her first royal encounter when she was just 7 years old, and she had the chance
to meet Princess Diana and present her with an E.T. doll. As she told Jimmy Kimmel in 2018,
she'll never forget the encounter and how gracious Diana was. She recalled,
But there's another royal moment she'll never forget, although for very different
reasons. As she shared on "The Drew Barrymore Show" in September 2022,
her 2000 meeting with King Charles saw her make quite the blunder.
As Barrymore recalled, she was in London to promote "Charlie's Angels" and was
invited to dinner. While there, she and co-star Lucy Liu posed with Charles and,
while attempting to hug the royal, Barrymore accidentally touched Liu's breast.
The moment was immortalized in a photo, but Barrymore had a good
laugh about it and still remembers the night fondly. As for the photo itself,
she said it proves just how fun it was to hang with the king. She shared,