King Charles has come face to face with a huge gorilla today at a reception in London. The monarch, 76, was all smiles on Wednesday as he attended an event at Lancaster House, which saw business leaders, indigenous representatives, NGOs and government officials come together to explore the solutions that could be put in place to integrate nature into business practices.

At the reception, the King spoke with those present about their commitment to supporting nature and climate initiatives. He was also treated to a performance by puppet collective The Herds, which Charles seemed to enjoy.

As reported by GB News, the performance featured life-sized animal puppets which were operated by artists travelling from the Congo Basin to the Arctic Circle.

The performance aimed to represent the environmental themes that had been discussed at the event, as well as to raise awareness about humanity's connection with the natural world.

The King, who saw the performance in the Grand Hall of Lancaster House, seemed very impressed, and even engaged with one of the large puppets.

In pictures and videos taken from the reception, Charles at one point can be seen standing face to face with the gorilla puppet.

The King reached out and squeezed the hand of the puppet with a grin as it danced around in front of him.