King Charles surprised theatregoers with an unannounced appearance at a sold-out performance of Shakespeare's The Tempest at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire. The monarch sat among the public to watch the production starring Sir Kenneth Branagh.
He was welcomed by the Lord Lieutenant of Warwickshire, Tim Cox, alongside the Royal Shakespeare Company's (RSC) co-artistic directors, Daniel Evans and Tamara Harvey. Charles took a seat near the back, between Evans and Harvey, and close to Sir Richard Eyre, who directed the performance.
During the interval, the King was offered a drink before visiting the RSC's in-house costume department. He admired a crown used in last year's production of Edward II, touched a dress worn by Dame Judi Dench in All's Well That Ends Well (2003), and marvelled at costumes worn by David Tennant in Richard II (2013) and Sir Antony Sher in Richard III (1984).
Charles has been patron of the RSC since 2024, succeeding the late Queen Elizabeth II, who held the patronage from the company's creation in 1961. Sir Kenneth Branagh is playing Prospero for the first time in his career, which includes 35 Shakespeare productions. The Tempest runs until June 20.
