Denzel Washington says he ‘makes his own rules’ when told to meet King Charles at Gladiator II premiere

“I didn’t know if I was supposed to grab you or not.”

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. According to fans, the Training Day star had a hilarious moment before meeting the King.

One fan who attended the premiere and met Washington on the red carpet shared their account 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.”

Another person quickly responded to the post, 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 meet King Charles. Despite being told to prioritize meeting the monarch, the Fences star made it clear that giving his fans attention was equally important.

While promoting the blockbuster sequel, Washington revealed that a pivotal scene had been cut from the movie.

“I actually kissed a man in the film, but they took it out. I think they got chicken,” Washington told Gayety.

“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,” he added with a laugh.

Speaking to Empire, Washington also explained his decision to join 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. I was tremendously inspired by Ridley [Scott],” he said.

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

During the event, King Charles admitted to 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 mentioned that her mother, Penelope, sent her love to the Queen, Camilla inquired about her friend’s well-being.

Emily revealed that “Penny” was still smoking cigarettes, to which Camilla shared that she had quit the habit 20 years ago.