The King couldn’t contain his laughter as he was stormed by ‘very healing’ hugs from New Zealand women’s rugby team players.
Charles III, 75, found himself middle of a very wholesome scrum as he greeted the players at Buckingham Palace tonight.
The Black Ferns, who have made their way to the UK to take on England’s Red Roses, affectionally smothered the royal after he said: ‘Hug, why not’.
Winger Ayesha Leti-I’iga had made the cheeky request and her teammates joined in, leaving the head of state giggling from the group embrace during a reception this evening.
Later, Charles made special mention of the heartwarming gesture with an impromptu speech.
The King couldn’t contain his laughter as he was stormed by ‘very healing’ hugs from the New Zealand women’s rugby team players
‘I much appreciated this chance to meet you and have such a warm hug from most of you,’ he expressed. ‘Very healing.’
Details of Charles’ first major tour since his cancer diagnosis were released on Tuesday, with the King travelling to Australia and making a state visit to Samoa for a Commonwealth leaders’ summit.
But he will not travel to New Zealand and said: ‘I’m extremely sorry I can’t come to New Zealand in later October because of doctor’s orders, but I hope there’ll be another excuse [to come] before not too long.’
Champagne was served for Charles’ guests but the sportswomen opted for fruit juice and water and the King made the players laugh when he joked about the situation.
He said: ‘I’m so pleased to have this opportunity to greet you all, for a short moment – apparently not to be able to give you a drink.’
Ayesha Leti-Iiga, a 25-year-old Winger, said: ‘I asked him “Can we have a hug?” and the King said “Yes” but as I went in to hug him the others all jumped on top so it turned into more of a scrum.’
Liana Mikaele-Tuu, a 22-year-old Forward, said: ‘I thought you said “We” so we all got involved!’
The King then had a separate hug for Prop Tanya Kalounivale, 25.
The touching moment is captured on the Black Ferns Instagram page, where the players can be heard asking the royal for a hug ‘if it’s OK with him’.
Charles III, 75, found himself middle of a very wholesome scrum as he greeted the players at Buckingham Palace tonight
The Black Ferns, who have made their way to the UK to take on England’s Red Roses, affectionally smothered the royal after he said: ‘Hug, why not’
Kalounivale said: ‘The King said his position when he played rugby was a back rower – a lock. He said that was the worst position because when the scrum collapses you’re in the middle of it.’
After meeting the players, Charles received two gifts from the team: a Black Ferns Jersey signed by the squad and a wooden waka, a traditional maori boat engraved with the New Zealand proverb: ‘We are all in this together.’
Accepting the gifts, the King said: ‘I’m not sure I deserve this.’ He told the team: ‘You can always blame me if you don’t win – you can say I interrupted your training.’
The King then proceeded to the Grand Staircase of Buckingham Palace to join the team for a group photograph.
Yesterday, Charles and Camilla announced that they will be going on a royal tour next month – with plans to have a BBQ and visit Sydney Harbour on the agenda.
Later, King Charles made special mention of the heartwarming gesture with an impromptu speech
Champagne was served for Charles’ guests but the sportswomen opted for fruit juice and water and the King made the players laugh when he joked about the situation
After meeting the players, Charles received two gifts from the team: a Black Ferns Jersey signed by the squad and a wooden waka, a traditional maori boat engraved with the New Zealand proverb: ‘We are all in this together’
The King then proceeded to the Grand Staircase of Buckingham Palace to join the team for a group photograph. Pictured enjoying the group hug
A giggling King Charles was affectionately swarmed by New Zealand rugby players at Buckingham Palace tonight
The royal appeared delighted to get caught up in the very affectionate group embrace earlier today
Charles was in high spirits as he met New Zealand’s Black Ferns rugby union team at Buckingham Palace
The royal was all smiles as he enjoyed a very affectionate meeting with the players at Buckingham Palace
The royal and his wife will travel to Australia and Samoa for a state visit, and attend a Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting.
The couple will be making their journey to the countries between October 18 to 26, according to Buckingham Palace.
This will be Charles’ first trip to Australia as the King, as he has previously visited 15 times as the Prince of Wales.
They last travelled Down Under to open the Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast in 2018.
The royal couple will arrive on Friday, October 18 before flying out the following Wednesday for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Samoa.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will welcome the couple to Parliament House on October 21 for a reception with leaders and Australians who have excelled in the fields of health, arts, culture and sport.
Although their schedule is busy, Charles and Camilla have managed to fit in a BBQ with members of the community in Western Sydney. The pair will also try produce from the New South Wales region.
The monarch was smiling away as he chatted with the players, and enjoyed a very sweet hug from them
It was an affectionate meeting for the royal, who greeted New Zealand’s Black Ferns rugby union team at Buckingham Palace
The excited Black Ferns took a selfie as they made an arrival at Buckingham Palace for a reception
The King will also meet Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander representatives to learn about their work in strengthening culture.
Like many tourists visiting the country, the pair will also stop by Sydney Harbour to conduct a Fleet Review of the Royal Australian Navy.
The area is known for its picturesque views of the Sydney Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge.
Charles, who has been receiving treatment for cancer, will also learn more about those affected by melanoma, one of Australia’s most common cancers, speaking to experts Professor Georgina Long and Professor Richard Scolyer.
Charles and Camilla will visit and lay a wreath at the Australian War Memorial, along with visiting the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander memorial, paying their respects to those who have fallen.
The royal pair will also split off and undertake their own visits, with Camilla meeting children participating in a Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition workshop in a library in Sydney.
She will also then join a discussion on domestic and family violence, with both victims and experts, before meeting representatives of GIVIT, a charity which matches donors with those in need, of which she is Patron.
An excited Charles beamed as she joined the Black Ferns for a group selfie – and even appeared to join in for a selfie
Details of Charles’ first major tour since his cancer diagnosis were released on Tuesday, with the King travelling to Australia and making a state visit to Samoa for a Commonwealth leaders’ summit. But he will not travel to New Zealand. Pictured meeting the Black Ferns today
The King was animated as he spoke with players of the Black Ferns when they visited Buckingham Palace
The royal admitted he ‘wasn’t sure he deserved’ the jersey he was gifted by the players during their visit
It was a ‘healing’ day for the King, who admitted he was moved by the group hug from the Black Ferns
Pictured: King Charles III (left) performs a hongi (a traditional Maori greeting) with team manager Allan Bunting as he meets New Zealand’s Black Ferns
During the trip, Charles will also visit the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) to meet firefighters and learning more about the centre’s work to combat the bush fires, as he is passionate about environmental issues.
Charles and Camilla – who enjoy plants, gardening and nature – will be able to tour the National Botanic Gardens, learn about Indigenous plant use and also hear from staff about how climate change is affecting biodiversity.
The King and Queen will then travel to Samoa – which is hosting the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) – where they will receive a formal welcome to the country, in the form of an ‘Ava Fa’atupu ceremony.
Charles and Camilla will then attend an engagement to learn more about Samoan traditions and culture.
The King will go on a trip to a mangrove forest and a National Park while learning about the work that is done to protect ecosystems.
He will also plant a tree in Samoa’s Botanical Garden which will mark a new area of the site, named ‘The King’s Garden’.
His Majesty will visit both a mangrove forest and a National Park, witnessing the work that is carried out by local communities to restore and protect both these vital ecosystems.
Meanwhile, Camilla will visit an aoga faifeau, a traditional Samoan Pastor’s School, to see how pupils are taught to read and write.
She will also visit Samoa Victim Support Group, an organisation that assists survivors of domestic violence and sexual abuse.
As Charles is Head of the Commonwealth, he will attend the CHOGM Opening Ceremony and will host a Dinner for Commonwealth Heads of Government, alongside his wife.
Charles will also host a Reception for New Heads of Government and hear about progress on sustainable urbanisation and investment in solutions to tackle climate change, whereas Camilla will attend the Women’s Forum, with a focus on eliminating violence against women and improving health.