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Privacy NoticeKing Charles III warmed hearts as he embraced the New Zealand women’s rugby team in a “sweet” moment that left Royal enthusiasts teary-eyed. The endearing encounter took place at Buckingham Palace on 11 September, when Ayesha Leti-I’iga, a player for the Black Ferns, asked the monarch for a hug. To everyone’s delight, King Charles responded with a beaming “Why not? ” before joining the players for a group hug amidst laughter and cheers. The 75-year-old monarch later quipped, “It was like being flattened by a scrum,” adding a touch of humour to the occasion. The video of this special moment went viral on the team’s social media, amassing over 1.1 million likes, with the caption: “Kicking our feet King Charles.” Fans were taken aback by the King’s display of affection, which is a departure from the usual Royal protocol where men bow and women curtsey. While hugs are not unheard of in the Royal family, they’re certainly not the norm, leading some followers to comment that King Charles “really needed it.”
King Charles joked that the hug was like being in ‘the scrum’
(Image: (Image: Aaron Chown/PA Wire))
It’s been a challenging year for the Royals, with both King Charles and Kate, the Princess of Wales, undergoing cancer treatments. Moreover, the hug came close to the first anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II’s passing on 8 September 2022, stirring emotions among Royal watchers. A TikTok user reflected on the timing, noting: “Anniversary of his mum’s passing so he needed that too.” One fan gushed: “Aww, he truly feels like a grandpa,” and another was moved to tears, saying: “Whyyyyyyy am I crying? he looks like he’s been needing that for decades.” Someone else shared their emotional reaction, saying: “I’m actually sobbing. This is so sweet.” Elsewhere, a touched viewer wrote: “He probably doesn’t get hugged or even touched often. Such a simple human gesture to a man that has everything and look at the smile on his face. Priceless.”Story SavedYou can find this story in  My Bookmarks.Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right.Follow OK! MagazineFacebookTwitterCommentMore OnKing Charles IIIRoyal Family
