King Charles III, who's still receiving cancer treatment, has 'broken in royal protocol' during heartwarming event at Buckingham Palace.
The 75-year-old monarch seemingly forgot the royal rule as he shared a group hug with members of the New Zealand women's rugby team at the Palace.
Prince William and Harry's dad was visiting with the Black Ferns when player Ayesha Leti-I'iga asked if they could have a hug. The King responded cheerfully, "A hug? Why not", leading to a warm embrace with the team.
The recent hug suggests a trend of increased informality within the royal family. Just days earlier, the Prince and Princess of Wales released an intimate video featuring hugs with their children and each other.
The footage, filmed during their summer break in Norfolk, showed William, Catherine, George, Charlotte and Louis in a relaxed family setting.
Prince Harry, in his 2023 memoir, recalled never hugging his grandmother Queen Elizabeth II, stating it was "out of the question".
Similarly, Meghan Markle expressed surprise at the formality within the royal household, noting her natural inclination as a "hugger" was at odds with British royal custom.
Author of Charles' biography "Our King" Robert Jobson told The Telegraph that the monarch has "always been a pretty good hugger, pretty relaxed about it". He added, "He [the King] is quite tactile and always has been. He's got a twinkle in his eye."
A palace source described Charles as "a genuinely warm and affectionate man who is not embarrassed to express that in a public way".