Denzel Washington Joked With Fans About Meeting King Charles

Denzel Washington wears a black suit while shaking hands with King Charles who is wearing a tuxedo

(Image credit: Eddie Mulholland - WPA Pool/Getty Images)

published 15 November 2024

King Charles was a special guest at the London premiere of Gladiator II on Wednesday, Nov. 13. All of the film's stars were in attendance, including Oscar-winner Denzel Washington. And according to fans, the Training Day star said something hilarious before meeting The King.

One fan who was at the premiere and met Washington on the red carpet shared their account of the evening on X. "fun fact denzel was told to go inside because the king was here but he told security 'i make my own rules' and continued to talk to us," the individual wrote. Another person was quick to respond, writing, "As Denzel should. He’s the true king!"

After making sure he'd spoken to fans on the red carpet, Washington made his way inside to speak to King Charles. Still, it's pretty incredible that the Fences star wanted to give his fans his utmost attention, despite being told to meet the monarch.

Denzel Washington wears a black suit as he meets King Charles, who is wearing a tuxedo, at the London premiere of Gladiator II — Denzel Washington and King Charles III at the *Gladiator II* premiere on Nov. 13.

While promoting the blockbuster sequel, Washington shared that a pivotal scene had been cut from the movie. "I actually kissed a man in the film but they took it out, they cut it, I think they got chicken," Washington told Gayety. He continued, "I kissed a guy full on the lips and I guess they weren't ready for that yet. I killed him about five minutes later."

While speaking to Empire, Washington also revealed why he decided to sign on for Gladiator II. "There are very few films left for me to make that I'm interested in, and I have to be inspired by the filmmaker, and I was tremendously inspired by Ridley [Scott]," he explained.

Pedro Pascal wears a black suit with no shirt underneath while he shakes hands with King Charles, who is wearing a tuxedo

King Charles attended the Gladiator II premiere solo, as wife Queen Camilla was still recovering from a chest infection. Earlier that day, the pair celebrated the Film and TV Charity's 100th anniversary at a reception at Buckingham Palace.

During the event, Charles admitted being "moved to tears" by Queen Camilla's new documentary, Her Majesty The Queen: Behind Closed Doors, which highlights her work with domestic violence charities.

At the reception, Queen Camilla had a candid conversation with Paddington in Peru actress Emily Mortimer. When Emily said that her mother, Penelope, sent her love to The Queen, Camilla enquired about her friend's well-being. Emily revealed that "Penny" was still smoking cigarettes, which led Camilla to share that she'd quit the habit 20 years prior.

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Amy Mackelden is the weekend editor at Marie Claire, where she covers celebrity and royal family news. She was the weekend editor at Harper’s BAZAAR for three years, where she covered breaking celebrity and entertainment news, royal stories, fashion, beauty, and politics. Prior to that, she spent a year as the joint weekend editor for Marie Claire, ELLE, and Harper's BAZAAR, and two years as an entertainment writer at Bustle. Her additional bylines include Cosmopolitan, People, The Independent, HelloGiggles, Biography, Shondaland, Best Products, New Statesman, Heat, and The Guardian. Her work has been syndicated by publications including Town & Country, Good Housekeeping, Esquire, Delish, Oprah Daily, Country Living, and Women's Health. Her celebrity interviews include Jennifer Aniston, Jessica Chastain, the cast of Selling Sunset, Emma Thompson, Jessica Alba, and Penn Badgley. In 2015, she delivered an academic paper at Kimposium, the world's first Kardashian conference.