Vladimir Putin has sent his congratulations to King Charles III as he formally became the new British monarch, despite the King once describing him as being like Adolf Hitler.
In a statement posted on Twitter by the Russian Embassy in London, Putin said: "Please accept my sincere congratulations on your accession to the throne.
"I wish Your Majesty success, good health and all the best."
The statement is unlikely to be met with anything other than a frosty reception by the Palace as the King has been outwardly critical of the Russian president in the past, particularly for his barbaric actions in Ukraine.
Putin is responsible for the deaths of thousands of people in Ukraine and the displacement of millions, while large swathes of a number of Ukrainian cities have been destroyed in indiscriminate bombings.
In his own country, Putin is responsible for enacting laws of brutal repression that sees people facing up to 15 years in prison for speaking out against the war, described as a 'special operation by the Kremlin designed to decapitate a 'Nazi state' on its borders.
This is a false claim.
Earlier this year, the King was the first member of the Royal Family to condemn President Putin's full-scale invasion, describing it as an "an attack on democracy" and he expressed his solidarity with the people of Ukraine.
Britain's new monarch caused something of a diplomatic row in 2014 when he likened Putin to Nazi dictator and one of history's most evil figures, Hitler.
He made the comments to Jewish museum volunteer Marienne Ferguson while on a visit to the Museum of Immigration in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
Marienne said she had told him how her family had fled from Hitler and said to a journalist: "The Prince said: ‘And now Putin is doing just about the same as Hitler’. I must say that I agree with him, and [I] am sure a lot of people do.
"But I was very surprised he made the comment, as I know they (members of the Royal Family) aren’t meant to say these things."
Putin said in 2014: "He has been to our country more than once, if he made such a comparison, it is unacceptable and I am sure he understands that as a man of manners."
The Russian Embassy in London demanded an answer from the UK at the time and said the King's great uncle, Edward VIII, "was a personal friend of Hitler".
The tyrannical Russian leader had already made a formal statement of condolence after the death of the Queen on Thursday.
He said her death was an "irreparable loss" and that she "rightfully enjoyed the love and respect of her subjects, as well as an authority on the world stage".
Addressing Charles directly, Putin said: "I wish you courage and resilience in the face of this difficult, irreparable loss. May I ask you to pass on sincere condolences and support to members of the royal family and the entire people of Great Britain."
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed that Putin will not be attending the funeral in London alongside other world leaders.
He said Russians had "respect" for the 70-year sovereign and admired "her wisdom".
