Queen Camilla Had the Most Relatable Reaction to Meeting the "Least Dressed Man" at a Buckingham Palace Event

The Olympian and TV star joked that he "had a few more clothes on" for his previous visit.

Queen Camilla meets one of the Gladiators
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Queen Camilla regularly carries out official royal engagements, but it's not often she seems lost of words. However, on Feb. 26, The Queen hosted a reception at Buckingham Palace for young authors who had taken part in the BBC's 500 Words competition. A plethora of celebrities were also in attendance, some of whom were wearing fewer clothes than others.

Photographs revealed the moment Queen Camilla met with two of the stars of British TV series Gladiators, a competition show in which contestants compete in sporting challenges against professional athletes. For the occasion, two of the show's stars, "Nitro" (Harry Aikines-Aryeetey) and "Fire" (Montell Douglas), dressed up in their costumes to meet the royal. Unsurprisingly, Camilla's reaction to meeting the scantily clad entertainers was highly relatable.

Aikines-Aryeetey, a championship sprinter for Team GB, revealed that he'd previously visited Buckingham Palace as an Olympian, meeting both Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Harry, per the Mirror. Noting that he "had a few more clothes on" during his first visit to the palace, Aikines-Aryeetey continued, "I was dressed well."

Gladiator Nitro, also known as Harry Aikines-Aryeetey speaks with British actors Matt Lucas and Rob Brydon during a reception hosted by Britain's Queen Camilla for finalists, judges and celebrity readers, to celebrate the final of the BBC's creative writing competition at Buckingham Palace in central London on February 26, 2025

Queen Camilla met two athletes from British TV show Gladiators.

(Image credit: JUSTIN TALLIS/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

Gladiator Nitro, also known as Harry Aikines-Aryeetey speaks with British actors Matt Lucas and Rob Brydon during a reception hosted by Britain's Queen Camilla for finalists, judges and celebrity readers, to celebrate the final of the BBC's creative writing competition at Buckingham Palace in central London on February 26, 2025

Queen Camilla met two athletes from British TV show Gladiators.

(Image credit: JUSTIN TALLIS/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

Revealing how he ended up wearing a singlet to meet Queen Camilla, Aikines-Aryeetey said, "To be fair I did come dressed correctly and once I got here they told me [to put on my shorts and singlet]. I thought gosh, surely I must be the least dressed man in this room. I've added to the history."

As for Queen Camilla's reaction to his costume, Aikines-Aryeetey revealed the royal didn't "even blink." "She wasn't surprised," he explained. "I guess it's 2025 and we are welcoming all sorts into the house!"

Gladiator Nitro, also known as Harry Aikines-Aryeetey speaks with British actors Matt Lucas and Rob Brydon during a reception hosted by Britain's Queen Camilla for finalists, judges and celebrity readers, to celebrate the final of the BBC's creative writing competition at Buckingham Palace in central London on February 26, 2025

Harry Aikines-Aryeetey speaks with British actors Matt Lucas and Rob Brydon.

(Image credit: JUSTIN TALLIS/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

It's been a busy week for the Royal Family. On Thursday, Feb. 27, British prime minister Keir Starmer hand delivered a letter from King Charles to Donald Trump inviting him for a second official state visit. "This is really special," Starmer told Trump. "This has never happened before...This is unprecedented."

"Quite apart from this presenting an opportunity to discuss a wide range of issues of mutual interest, it would also offer a valuable chance to plan a historic second state visit to the United Kingdom," The King wrote in his letter to Trump. According to the Mirror, the president "accepted the invitation immediately."

Amy Mackelden
Weekend Editor

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.