The moment King Charles III was offered a surprise hug during a reception at Buckingham Palace has gone viral, after footage from his meeting with the New Zealand women’s rugby team was posted to social media site, TikTok, on Wednesday.

Charles hosted a special reception for the New Zealand women’s rugby union team nicknamed the “Black Ferns” on September 11.

The squad were invited to meet the royal during their stay in London ahead of an upcoming match against their English counterparts, the “Red Roses.”

Charles is King of New Zealand, in addition to 13 other Commonwealth Realms not including the U.K., though he has yet to visit the country following his accession to the throne.

King Charles III is pictured with a member of the Black Ferns New Zealand women’s rugby squad at Buckingham Palace in London on September 11, 2024. The king was asked for a hug during the…Aaron Chown – WPA …

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