King Charles III and Queen Camilla have met Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney during a visit to Wrexham AFC, which is owned by the Hollywood stars.
Posting a photograph from the meeting, the Deadpool star joked that the second series of his FX docuseries, Welcome to Wrexham, would be titled “Charles in Charge”.
The royal couple went on a tour of the Racecourse Ground in Wrexham, Wales, on Friday (9 December).
Reynolds and McElhenney, who stars in It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, joked that they were given etiquette lessons ahead of the King and Queen Consort’s visit.
Speaking to media ahead of their meeting, Reynolds said: “I would say that we’re impossibly excited to welcome him to the Racecourse ground, this historic church that resides in the heart of Wrexham and is the heart of Wrexham.
“Rob and I both said early on, and this holds true and for the rest of our lives, we will do anything to uplift and elevate this community and this club and having the King pay a visit is certainly one way to do it. That’s for sure. Very excited.”
Asked if they had watched the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s controversial Netflix series, Harry and Meghan, which aired on Thursday (8 December), the actors said no, with McElhenney adding: “I’ve never heard of it.”
The duo have chronicled their takeover of the club in documentary Welcome to Wrexham, which was being filmed when Charles and Camilla visited.
McElhenney said he thought the King must be a fan of the club.
He said: “This is an incoming call. So we hope that he’s a fan. If not, we’ll make him a fan.”
Reynolds said he hoped to talk to the monarch about the work they were doing to improve the club and stadium.
He told reporters: “I would love to tell him a little bit about what it is that we’re hoping to achieve with the renovation of the Kop stand, and it’s not even a renovation, I would say that it’s a complete reimagining of the Kop stand, and what that will mean to not just the club, but the community of Wrexham as well.”
Asked if he might offer them a gift of Aviation Gin, the company which he owns, Reynolds said: “I don’t want to compete with the Royal gin now. That might create a conflict of interest.”
Charles and Camilla walked through the players’ tunnel onto the pitch at the ground, where they met Reynolds, McElhenney and club executives, and greeted players from the first team before posing for a picture.
The King was heard wishing players luck for their upcoming game on Saturday, while Camilla told another player: “It’s an extraordinary story.”
They watched football demonstrations from the women and youth teams on the pitch, and met staff from the club shop, administration team, coaches and medical staff.
The King joked about the pitch to head groundsman Paul Chaloner, saying: “It is proper grass isn’t it, not that plastic stuff?”
Charles and Camilla went on to meet disabled liaison officer for Wrexham AFC, Kerry Evans, and participants of Powerchair football.
Evans, 47, said: “It’s very, very special, what an honour. The King and Camilla both said it’s absolutely amazing the work we’ve been doing here. I never thought we’d have royalty at the club, now we’ve had Hollywood royalty and real royalty!”
Wrexham AFC was the first club in Wales to offer Powerchair football, a team participation sport for people who use electric wheelchairs.
The King and Camilla went on an impromptu walkabout in the sunshine after arriving at St Giles’ Church in Wrexham city centre.
Hundreds lined the streets to greet the royal visitors, despite the freezing temperatures.
Charles shook hands and asked about the cold before telling the crowds to “have a stiff drink” as he joined his wife on the other side of the street.
The couple then met Welsh First Minister Mark Drakeford and other dignitaries before moving into the church for a service, where Charles gave a speech.
Addressing the packed congregation, the King said: “My wife and I are absolutely delighted to be with you in Wrexham today to celebrate your becoming a city.
He said: “A little earlier today, I had the opportunity to see one of the other wonders of Wrexham, namely the football club, which is busy putting Wrexham on the map as never before.
“And, of course, this comes after the Welsh national team has brought unprecedented international recognition to Wales through qualifying for the World Cup.
“The motto of Welsh football – Gorau Chwarae, Cyd Chwarae – sums up the spirit of community, and of joint endeavour, which is so important to Wales, and which, over the years, I have come to know and value more than I can possibly say.”
Additional reporting by PA
