King Charles received some festive cheer from Father Christmas who told the monarch he is at the top of his very good boy list. The King chatted to Santa Claus during a visit to a shopping centre in west London today – where he was mobbed by royal fans who snapped photos of him on their phones.
Shoppers at Ealing Broadway Shopping Centre were taken aback when they realised a famous visitor was checking out the food and craft stalls at the town’s Christmas market. During his visit, Charles strolled over to Santa’s grotto and had a brief chat with Father Christmas as well as some of his elves.
Father Christmas said afterwards: “I told him he’s on Santa’s ‘very good boy’ list and he replied, ‘Really?’ I also said to him if he was at Sandringham this year and when he said he was, I asked him if there was room for my sleigh to park?”
Behind the larger, white beard and red and white suit was Keith Flaherty, who described himself as a “frustrated thespian”. He said of his seasonal job: “It’s lovely to get away from the real world of grown-ups and be with the kiddies – they are great.”
Ealing in its heyday was known as the “queen of the suburbs” and is home to the world-famous Ealing Studios where major productions are still filmed.
It is also famed for its Polish community, who were welcomed to the area during the Second World War as squadrons of Polish fighter pilots were based at nearby RAF Northolt.
King Charles watched a short performance by a local Polish choir whose members sang a traditional carol and he also stopped to chat to Kate McKenzie, running an outdoor stall for the Store Collective which features the work of local artisans and craft people.
She said: “He really liked the idea of bringing local makers together to fill this space.”
Before touring the market, the sovereign chatted to local charities awarded the King’s Award for Voluntary Service, which ranged from organisations tackling litter or supporting those in distress and hardship to protecting wildlife.
King Charles rounded off his visit to Ealing with a private trip to nearby Pitzhanger Manor, the former country home of the influential 18th and 19th century architect Sir John Soane, which has undergone a major conservation project.
Royal fans took to social media after news of the visit, with one X user saying it was “nice seeing some royals get on with work without complaining”.
Another wrote on the platform: “What fun – wish I’d been there. Our King touches base with all of his subjects from every walk of life. The new regal.”
Others questioned whether Santa broke royal protocol by touching the King, as Father Christmas was seen with his hand on Charles’s arm during the encounter.
The visit to Ealing comes two days after the king was given a handwritten Christmas letter by a young girl during a visit to an orthodox church.
Charles attended an Advent service and Christmas reception at the Coptic Orthodox Church Centre UK in Stevenage, Hertfordshire, on Tuesday.
His visit was part of continued efforts to encourage inter-faith dialogue and a greater understanding of different religions in Britain and abroad.
Taormina, six, approached the King through the crowd and handed him the letter, which included love hearts and the words “Happy Holidays!” and “To: King Charls”.
