King Charles Was Caught Off Guard By an Unusual Royal Fan in Australia
You never know who will turn up!
King Charles and Queen Camilla have encountered massive crowds of Australians during their tour Down Under this week, but on Oct. 21, he met a rather surprising fan who was decked out in full royal regalia for the occasion. Among the droves of royal enthusiasts gathered outside the Australian War Memorial in Canberra was Hephner, a fuzzy white alpaca with a penchant for formalwear.
The dapper alpaca—dressed in a gold crown and tuxedo-like shirt—and his owner, Robert Fletcher, "waited patiently for hours" to meet King Charles, per People. But once his turn came to greet The King, he blew it. Literally.
"This is Hephner, he's a support animal," Fletcher said to King Charles, who reached out to pet the alpaca's fluffy white coat in a video shared by TV journalist Duncan Stone on X. But the 9-year-old alpaca returned the greeting by sneezing all over The King's arm instead.
Although he appeared startled, His Majesty took the incident with good humor, laughing as he moved on to shake hands with others in the crowd. "At least he didn’t spit," Fletcher said of his alpaca, who is named after Playboy founder Hugh Hefner, per People.
Hephner does share one thing with King Charles, and that's a passion for giving back to others. According to the publication, the alpaca visits "charities and nursing homes" with his owner and is "well-known throughout the Canberra region for his charitable work."
Along with meeting his fuzziest royal fan, King Charles has greeted plenty of other Aussie fans since arriving Down Under on Oct. 18. The King and Queen visited Sydney's iconic Opera House on Tuesday, Oct. 22, with thousands of people gathered to get a look at the royal couple.
However, The King received a less-than-warm welcome while delivering a speech in Parliament on Monday.
Stay In The Know
Get exclusive access to fashion and beauty trends, hot-off-the-press celebrity news, and more.
"You are not our king," Aboriginal Australian senator Lidia Thorpe shouted. "Give us our land back. Give us what you stole from us." Thorpe was escorted from the building, with several other Australian leaders, like former senator Nova Peris, calling the incident "embarrassing and disrespectful."
Kristin Contino is Marie Claire's Senior Royal and Celebrity editor. She's been covering royalty since 2018—including major moments such as the Platinum Jubilee, Queen Elizabeth II’s death and King Charles III's coronation—and places a particular focus on the British Royal Family's style and what it means.
Prior to working at Marie Claire, she wrote about celebrity and royal fashion at Page Six Style and covered royalty from around the world as chief reporter at Royal Central.
Kristin is also the published author of two novels, “The Legacy of Us” and “A House Full of Windsor.”
-
Meghan Markle's "Under-the-Radar" Fashion Moves Still Get Attention
“Her appearance could change a business.”
By Kristin Contino Published
-
Rihanna and A$AP Rocky Enter the Matching Sneakers Phase
The pair showed off their coordinating couple style on a trip to China.
By Hanna Lustig Published
-
Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi Reveals Why He's Rarely at Home With Pregnant Wife Princess Beatrice
They're currently expecting their second child together.
By Amy Mackelden Published
-
Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis’s Sweet Surprise From Grandpa King Charles
Having The King as your grandpa has its perks.
By Kristin Contino Published
-
During His Royal Tour in Australia, King Charles Reveals One Way He Won't Be Following in Prince Harry's Footsteps
"If I was a younger man."
By Kristin Contino Published
-
Queen Camilla Reportedly Broke Royal Protocol With a Fan During Tour of Australia
The moment occurred when King Charles' wife greeted fans outside a church.
By Amy Mackelden Published
-
The Australian Public Is Going Wild for King Charles and Queen Camilla Despite Government Snubs
Droves of Australians have waited for hours to get a glimpse of the King and Queen.
By Kristin Contino Published
-
Princess Eugenie Is Reportedly in a "Precarious Position" Between Prince Harry and King Charles
"Eugenie is in a difficult spot."
By Amy Mackelden Published
-
Rare Andy Warhol Paintings of Princess Diana and Prince Charles Could Fetch More Than $2 Million at Auction
The pop art pieces will hit the auction block on Oct. 10.
By Kristin Contino Published
-
The Household Item That King Charles “Trembled” and “Shrieked” About After Seeing It for the First Time
Something tells us he hasn't spent much time in the kitchen.
By Kristin Contino Published
-
Why a Football Star Is Refusing to Attend a BBQ with King Charles
The Australian footballer took to social media to explain his decision.
By Kristin Contino Published