In a moment that perfectly blended royal dignity with the charm of the unexpected, King Charles was greeted by a crown-wearing alpaca, dressed in a waistcoat with a golden bow tie during his Australia tour.
Greeting crowds outside the Australian War Memorial in Canberra, the King in "disbelief" stroked the furry animal who reacted with a rather loud sneeze, which in turn, made the monarch laugh.
The alpaca, known for its fluffy coat and gentle disposition, was brought to the event to meet the King by Robert Fletcher of New South Wales who uses his alpaca as a support animal for charities and nursing homes, as reported in the Standard.
While waiting for Charles, he said: "My wife found the crown and thought it was fitting. I think he loves his crown very much. He has lots of outfits but it’s a special day so he is in a suit and bow tie as well."
The alpaca, nicknamed 'Hephner' (as his mother was called 'Playgirl') has met many famous celebrities in the past but had previously not met the King.
The owner added: "He doesn’t bite and he doesn’t spit. He’s always on his best behaviour anyway. And he is a pro-monarchy alpaca."
Robert described how the King looked shocked when the alpaca sneezed during an important moment. He said: "I got to shake his hand and then Hephner sneezed. The King just looked in disbelief."
He claimed: "But it’s just who Hephner is. He is an alpaca after all."
After greeting the public, the King and Queen Camilla met dignitaries at the Australian War Memorial and Parliament House, where the King gave a speech - which was shockingly interrupted by Indigenous Australian Senator Lidia Thorpe.
They also went to CSIRO's National Bushfire Behaviour Research Laboratory, Canberra's National Botanic Gardens, attended a domestic violence event and met charity leaders.
Wearing dark glasses in the hot Australian sun, the King moved through the display of the iconic Australian plants at the Botanic Gardens, asking questions and pointing out particularly interesting examples.
The Botanic Gardens display is one of the largest collection of Australian plants in the world.
On October 22, the King and Queen are set to return to Sydney as part of their six-day visit to the Commonwealth country.
The King's cancer treatment has been suspended while in Australia and during the trip's next leg in Samoa, where he will attend a Commonwealth leaders' summit.
