King Charles has delighted theatregoers after taking his seat near members of the public to watch a sold-out Shakespeare play in central England.
Charles was met with cheers from crowds of people when he arrived at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, as a surprise guest at a production of The Tempest starring Kenneth Branagh.
On his arrival, the King was greeted by the Lord Lieutenant of Warwickshire, Tim Cox, as well as the Royal Shakespeare Company's co-artistic directors Daniel Evans and Tamara Harvey.
Audience members peered down from the seating in the dress circle inside the auditorium, while others in the stalls got their phones out to take pictures when Charles took his seat near the back between the co-artistic directors
He also sat near the play's director, the highly acclaimed Richard Eyre.
This evening our Patron, His Majesty the King, attended a performance of The Tempest in the Royal Shakespeare Theatre ✨ pic.twitter.com/ucngI3QQKy
— The RSC (@TheRSC) May 22, 2026
Harvey said the King was "laughing away" next to her during the performance.
"I think he genuinely enjoyed it," she said.
Evans said he was surprised by the King's knowledge.
"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."
During the interval, Charles was handed a drink before he met the company's in-house costume department and admired a crown used in the 2025 production of Edward II.
He also touched the fabric of a dress worn by Judi Dench in All's Well That Ends Well in 2003 and marvelled at David Tennant's robe and gown from his role in Richard II in 2013.
A costume worn by Antony Sher in a 1984 production of Richard III was also admired by the King, who described the costumes as "brilliant".
He gave a standing ovation at the end of the performance, on Friday night local time.
Charles has been the patron of the Royal Shakespeare Company since 2024, following in the footsteps of the late Queen, who held the patronage since the company's creation in 1961.
Branagh was playing the role of the exiled Duke of Milan, Prospero, for the first time in his career, which has included 35 Shakespeare productions.
The Tempest, one of the last plays Shakespeare wrote, is running at the theatre until June 20.
"It was a tremendous honour to welcome His Majesty the King back to the Royal Shakespeare Theatre for this landmark production of The Tempest, which 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," Evans and Harvey said in a statement.
