King Charles gives standing ovation after surprise appearance at sold-out play

King Charles surprised theatergoers with an unexpected appearance at Royal Shakespeare Theatre this week.

On May 22, the monarch attended a sold out performance of The Tempest.

As Charles quietly arrived at the venue in Stratford-upon-Avon shortly before the curtain rose, he sat among audience members for the production starring Kenneth Brangh.

Notably, the King was also given a private backstage tour of the theater's costume department, where he admired historic costumes.

According to co-artistic director Tamara Harvey, King Charles' passion for the theater quickly became obvious throughout the evening.

Tamara said, "I think he genuinely enjoyed it," noting that His Majesty was "laughing away" during the performance.

She added, "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 theater," Tamara noted.

It is pertinent to mention that the performers also received a standing ovation from King Charles at the end of the performance.

In a statement with BBC News and ITV News, co-directors Daniel Evans and Tamara Harvey stated, "t was a tremendous honour to welcome His Majesty the King back to the Royal Shakespeare Theatre for this landmark production of The Tempest."

Adding that the occasion marks "both Sir Kenneth Branagh's historic return to Stratford-upon-Avon for the first time in over 30 years and Sir Richard Eyre's debut with the company after a long and distinguished career directing for the British stage."