His Majesty the King was in Mayfair this afternoon, attending an Advent Service at The Church of the Immaculate Conception.
The King, 76, looked in seasonal spirits as he arrived at the Catholic church in London‘s glitziest postcode.
Charles was attending the service without Queen Camilla, who has pared down her public appearances in the run up to Christmas as she continues to recover from a chest infection.
The monarch wore a navy blue wool coat over a grey suit with a pale blue shirt and pale pink tie – with a matching pink pocketchief for the festive occasion.
The King took time to shake the gloved hand of a veteran serviceman as he arrived for the service that ‘celebrated the strength and courage of faith communities at Christmas’.
The service was led by Father Dominic Robinson, the Parish Priest and Ecclesiastical Assistant at Aid to the Church in Need, who greeted the King as he made his way through the historic church’s doors.
King Charles with Father Dominic Robinson, left, at The Church of the Immaculate Conception on Wednesday; the monarch was attending an Advent service at the Mayfair church
Father Dominic Robinson who led the service inside the church pictured walking the King to his car
The 76-year-old monarch offered a warm welcome to a veteran serviceman as he arrived at the church which is more commonly known as Farm Street Church
Also known as Farm Street Church, it dates back to 1849. Following the service, His Majesty met with Aid to the Church in Need representatives alongside other different charitable initiatives supported by the Church – including those focusing on community outreach and supporting the homeless.
It’s been a busy period for the monarch, with the King taking on various public appearances – including being seen on TV screens dissolving into laughter at the Royal Variety Show, after a comedian made a joke about camping.
The annual fundraising event, which took place on November 22 but was broadcast on ITV this week, saw a string of famous faces take to the stage in front of the King, including Sir Elton John and hosts Amanda Holden and Alan Carr.
Following the traditional service, the King met with people involved with charitable initiatives supported by the Church, including street artist Kollier Din-Bangura, left
Sister Annee Demerjian from Syria was a guest at the service which celebrated the strength and courage of faith communities, and chatted with the monarch at its end
But it was Scott Bennett, a stand-up comedian from Yorkshire, who truly grabbed His Majesty’s attention.
Ranting about a recent camping holiday he had been on, Scott spoke of how loud the zips on tents are.
‘It’s three in the morning, it’s pitch black, you’re desperate for the toilet and you’re doing that,’ Scott said while pretending to open a tent and making a rather convincing unzipping noise.
‘And that’s zip number one,’ he quipped.
The cameras then cut to the King, who chortled to himself in the royal box at the Royal Albert Hall.
But the line that really tickled His Majesty’s funny bone was yet to come.
King Charles III looks at a painting of him by Lara Al-Wakeez following the service
Scott continued: ‘And don’t get me started on the people who do it slowly.
‘Have you heard these people? They were next to us. Took six hours to leave the tent.’
As Scott repeated his surprisingly realistic zip noise, but this time in comedically timed fragments, the King was seen laughing so much that he folded over in his chair.
The monarch, who attended the event without his wife, Queen Camilla, appeared to enjoy the yuletide entertainment.
As well as thoroughly enjoying Scott’s stand-up routine, Charles was clearly amused during a sketch from political satirist Matt Forde.
The comedian, who is known for his impressions, joked about unfounded claims made by Donald Trump during the recent presidential campaign that illegals immigrants from Haiti were eating locals’ pets in the small Ohio city of Springfield.
Imitating Mr Trump, he said: ‘They’re eating the cats, they’re eating the dogs,’ before turning to look at the royal box and address the King.
As Scott made a surprisingly realistic zip noise, the King was seen laughing so much that he folded over in his chair
Scott Bennett, a stand-up comedian from Yorkshire, grabbed His Majesty’s attention at this year’s Royal Variety Show with a joke about camping
King Charles meets Sir Elton John as he arrives for the Royal Variety Performance
King Charles gushes as he meets with on-screen partners Amanda Holden and Alan Carr – who hosted the night
‘Your Majesty King Charles, you are named after a spaniel – be very careful, they’ll eat you alive.’
The camera spanned to the monarch, who laughed enthusiastically.
Later, the King could be seen greeting an array of guests, from magical act Penn and Teller to extravagantly dressed Scottish presenter Lorraine Kelly.
He also met Ted Lasso star Ellie Taylor – who sported an open-mouthed look of amazement as she found herself face-to-face with the monarch.
Camilla, who had been due to attend, was forced to pull out at the last minute after continuing to suffer from some ‘lingering post-viral symptoms‘.
The Queen contracted a chest infection after a long haul trip to Australia and Samoa and pulled out a series of engagements, including the Royal Variety Performance and the Gladiator II premiere.
It is understood she was not taken to hospital with pneumonia.
Sources stressed there was no cause for alarm, saying the chest infection had simply left the Queen ‘with significantly diminished reserves of energy’.
At the time, a Buckingham Palace spokesman said: ‘Following a recent chest infection, The Queen continues to experience some lingering post-viral symptoms, as a result of which doctors have advised that, after a busy week of engagements, Her Majesty should prioritise sufficient rest.’
The statement continued: ‘With great regret, she has therefore withdrawn from attendance at tonight’s Royal Variety Performance. His Majesty will attend as planned.’
The Royal Variety Show – a hardy annual event in the Buckingham Palace calendar – is the world’s longest running entertainment show, dating back to 1912.
It supports the Royal Variety Charity which helps members of the entertainment industry in the UK who need help and assistance, including those that have fallen on hard times or need mental health support.
This is the first year that His Majesty has attended as patron of the Royal Variety Charity.