King Charles III organized a grand banquet in honor the three-day state visit from Japanese Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako on Thursday — where he elicited some laughs by sharing a shoutout to some of Japan’s cultural touchstones: Pokémon, Hello Kitty and Hayao Miyazaki.
It was during one of these unexpected references that the cameras captured Prince William giving his father the kind of smile that left people reeling from his seemingly uncomfortable half-smile. During Charles’ speech welcoming and praising the emperor, he recounted his experiences of spending time with Naruhito in the past — including fishing together.
“I’m just sorry to report that I haven’t had any luck with more recent fishing attempts,” Charles shared as he read from his prepared speech. “The phrase ‘gotta catch ’em all’ Pokémon may resonate with my grandchildren, but for me it’s perhaps aspirational.”
It was during this Pokémon reference that William seemed to overcome many different feelings at once – from laughter to slight embarrassment to surprise – and the internet quickly took notice.
“King Charles mentioning Pokémon mid-speech was not on my 2024 bingo card,” commented one user on X (formerly Twitter).
Another user joked: “I loved #PrinceWilliam’s reaction to #KingCharles’ joke about #Pokemon at the Japanese State Banquet.”
Charles also made special mention of another Japanese cultural export, sharing: “It was a pleasure to learn about the British stories behind certain Japanese cultural icons.”
“Perhaps you’ll allow me to mention one individual in particular who turns fifty this year. Raised in a suburb of London with her twin sister, she’s a billion-dollar entrepreneur and, on top of all that, a UNICEF Children’s Ambassador. So I can only wish a happy birthday to… Hello Kitty!” Charles declared happily.
Charles’ references to his grandchildren were a particular joy for some fans. He is the grandfather of Prince William’s three children with Kate Middleton – Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, 9, and Prince Louis, 6 – as well as for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s two children – Archie, 5 and Lilibet, 3.
ET spoke with royal expert Katie Nicholl in Maywhich explained why Charles – who was diagnosed with cancer earlier this year — really wants to reconnect with Harry and rebuild his relationship with his grandchildren, who currently live in California.
“He really wants to be close to his son again and see more of his grandchildren, who he’s barely seen since they were born,” Nicholl said.
“Harry has said he hoped that given the adversity of his father’s illness, he would be reunited with his family. That is clearly his intention,” she added. “My understanding is that the King also wants to rekindle his relationship with his son. He loves his son. He is a very compassionate man. I think he certainly wants to move on.”
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