King Charles III found himself at the center of a delightful moment of warmth and humor during a recent reception at Buckingham Palace. The monarch was playfully mobbed by members of the New Zealand women’s rugby team, the Black Ferns, who are currently in the UK to compete against England’s Red Roses. The affectionate encounter occurred after winger Ayesha Leti-I’iga requested a hug from the King, leading her teammates to join in.

The King, known for his engaging personality, embraced the group hug with laughter, describing the experience as “very healing” in an impromptu speech. He expressed his gratitude for the warm welcome, noting, “I much appreciated this chance to meet you and have such a warm hug from most of you.”

During the reception, Charles humorously addressed the choice of beverages, revealing that while champagne was on offer for other guests, the sportswomen opted for fruit juice and water. The King quipped, “I’m so pleased to have this opportunity to greet you all, for a short moment, apparently not to be able to give you a drink.”

In addition to the rugby players’ visit, King Charles is preparing for his first major tour since his cancer diagnosis. Scheduled to travel to Australia and make a state visit to Samoa from October 18-26, the King will attend a Commonwealth leaders’ summit and undertake various engagements. However, he will not visit New Zealand as initially planned, citing medical advice.

The upcoming tour is significant for Charles as he will be presiding over the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) for the first time as head of state. The trip will be closely monitored to ensure it accommodates his health needs, given his ongoing outpatient cancer treatment since February.

This light-hearted moment with the Black Ferns was a refreshing display of the King’s approachable nature and ability to connect with diverse groups during his royal engagements.