King Charles attends glittering Gladiator 2 premiere after hosting star-studded bash at Buckingham Palace with Camilla

THE King was 'entertained' at a star-studded premiere for blockbuster action flick Gladiator II.

Charles, 75, walked the red carpet in Leicester Square without Queen Camilla, who has been forced to scale down her engagements due to a chest infection.

At the Odeon Luxe cinema, His Majesty met stars of the movie including Denzel Washington, 69, Paul Mescal, 28, Pedro Pascal, 49, and Connie Nielsen, 59, plus Brit director Sir Ridley Scott, 86.

He warmly shook hands with director Sir Ridley who appeared to say they would talk after the movie.

Mescal said to the King: “I play Lucius.”

While Oscar-winning actor Denzel Washington shook the King’s had firmly and said: “I didn’t know if I was supposed to grab you.”

And told the King: “I’m doing my best.”

The King said to Denzel: “Are you playing someone terrible?”

The actor replied: “I’m a lovely man, you’ll see.”

The King added: “You’ve been in so many films, fantastic.”

Charles also had a giggle as he met Kaitlyn Coleman, 7, and Sophie Alger, 4, who gave him a brochure and flowers.

The original Gladiator won five Oscars and grossed $465.4 million worldwide at the box office and renowned for Russell Crowe's infamous battlecry "are you not entertained".

The global premiere of Gladiator II was hosted jointly by Paramount Pictures and the Film and TV Charity.

It was the 72nd Royal Film Performance delivered by the charity, which marks its 100th anniversary this year.

Founded in 1924, the Film and TV Charity is dedicated to those who work behind the scenes in the UK’s film, TV, and cinema industries by supporting their mental health and financial well-being.

Gladiator 2 has been dubbed by many as "the best movie of the year".

And lead star, Irish actor Paul Mescal, looked suave on the red carpet.

He was joined by his Danish co-star Connie Nielsen who looked incredible in a light blue gown with billowing skirt.

Pedro Pascal was accompanied by his sister Lux, who no doubt made His Majesty The King blush in her very risky dress.

Una Healy, Myleene Klass and Kelly Brook also wowed on the red carpet at the star-studded world premiere on Wednesday night.

Former Saturdays star Una had all eyes on her as she posed for pictures in a stunning gold gown.

Her long-sleeved metallic frock had a plunging neckline and dramatic thigh-high split, and she coordinated it with a dark brown manicure.

Myleene, meanwhile, also opted for a touch of sparkle and wore a stunning long green dress for the showbiz event at the Odeon Luxe.

Strictly Come Dancing's Nadiya Bychkova was also spotted at the star-studded event.

Before his night out at the Gladiator II premiere, the King celebrated the UK's film and television industry at a Buckingham Palace reception.

Charles welcomed directors, actors, TV presenters, stunt performers and costume designers at Buckingham Palace in London on Wednesday, including Sir Ridley Scott.

The Queen attended at his side whilst they welcomed the guests, but left the event early as she is recovering from a chest infection.

The reception at the historic royal residence marked the centenary of the Film and TV Charity, of which Charles has become patron, following in the footsteps of his late mother Elizabeth II who had held the role since 1952.

Film director Sir Ridley, actor Joseph Fiennes, actress India Amarteifio from the hit Netflix show Queen Charlotte, and TV presenter Claudia Winkleman were among the celebrities who attended the event.

Camilla, greeting Sir Ridley alongside Charles, coughed before she shook his hand and said: "I am so sorry I'm can't come (to the premiere) tonight. I'd be coughing all the way through."

Actor Damian Lewis, who plays the Tudor King Henry VIII in the BBC historical drama Wolf Hall: The Mirror And The Light, remarked during a conversation with Charles: "At least you could claim not to be related."

He also said it was "great" to see Camilla's new ITV1 documentary looking at her work around domestic abuse.

Actress and filmmaker Emily Mortimer, speaking at the event, said the King demonstrating support towards the people who work in the British Film and TV industry was "huge".

"It means so much," she said.

"I feel like everybody is so excited to be here and it's very special.

"It's like they (the King and Queen) are noticing what's happening, and that it's part of the fabric of society.

"We're all here trying to do something that feels like an important contribution.

"As performers and people in this industry, it's nice to remember that actually, you may not do a job that looks like a grown-up job, but it really is an important contribution. Entertaining people is a massively important role."

A number of costumes and props from films were put on show at Buckingham Palace for the reception, including costumes worn by Joseph Quinn in his role as Emperor Geta in Gladiator II, and the costume worn by the late Bernard Hill in his role as Captain Edward Smith in James Cameron's Titanic.

Two of Russell Crowe's costumes from Master And Commander: The Far Side Of The World were also on show, as well as the late Dame Maggie Smith's outfit from the 1982 film Evil Under The Sun.

Dame Maggie died in September at the age of 89.

It comes after Camilla was seen for the first time on Tuesday since missing a string of royal events due to a chest infection.

Her Majesty has returned to work this week after her spate of illness - but her hours are being scaled back.

Camilla, 77, sparked health fears after she pulled from all Remembrance events this weekend on doctors' orders.

She arrived to host a Booker Prize reception with shortlisted authors at Clarence House this afternoon.

Queen Camilla told guests on Wednesday: "I’m on the mend, these things always take a bit of time to get rid of.

"But hopefully I’m on the mend now."

The Queen had also hoped to join the King on his 76th birthday bash on Thursday to open a Coronation Food Project - but has pulled out.

Buckingham Palace is insisting there is no cause for alarm.

According to the latest updates from the Palace, the 77-year-old is following doctors' guidance to ensure a full recovery from her seasonal chest infection, including missing some royal events.

The palace emphasised this is a precautionary measure for her recovery and to protect others from any potential risk.

Shortly after the King and Queen returned to the UK following their tour of Australia and Samoa, Camilla began experiencing symptoms of a chest infection.

This saw the Queen miss the annual Field of Remembrance event at Westminster Abbey on November 7.

The Duchess of Gloucester agreed to represent Camilla at the Field of Remembrance.

She also pulled out of the weekend's Remembrance events, including the Festival of Remembrance at the Royal Albert Hall on Saturday night and the Sunday service at the Cenotaph.

But, while the infection has been disruptive, it is not expected to have long-term effects on her ability to perform royal duties.

Following the success of their nine-day tour Down Under, the King and Queen have lined up two major tours in 2025, including a royal visit to Italy.