King Charles III and Queen Camilla regaled a flock of American and European celebrities at a swanky Christie’s reception on Wednesday evening, capping off their whirlwind one-day tour in New York City.
A laundry list of famous faces — from former Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour and supermodel Karlie Kloss to Grammy-winning singer Lionel Richie — attended the King’s Trust reception at the famed British auction house in Rockefeller Center.
Charles founded the King’s Trust, a charity geared towards empowering young people across academics and the workforce, in 1976.
The “Greater Together Reception” was intended to bolster “the UK’s cultural impact on New York, through the arts, sports and community initiatives,” according to the British Embassy in Washington.
Actress Nina Dobrev and fashion designer Stella McCartney, daughter of Sir Paul McCartney of the Beatles, were also spotted in attendance.
Charles and the British ambassador to the US, Sir Christian Turner, viewed the “Greater Together Soft Power Display,” a collection of digital, physical and holographic artwork highlighting “the UK-US relationship,” according to the embassy.
After the approximately hourlong reception, the king and queen were spotted being driven down 49th Street and then uptown, with Camilla sticking her hand out the window to wave to a group of fans.
“My wife told me to keep an eye out for King Charles and Camilla. I hung around for two hours waiting for Prince Charles – my error. I’m 62 and he has always been the prince to me,” said Ed Gardella, a retired fire insurance inspector from Bangor, Maine.
Mike Dominguez, 61, who was visiting from Los Angeles with his 10-year old son Beckham, also hoped to catch a glimpse of the royals, with the boy saying: “I want to be part of something special.”
But one man, who only gave his name as Mikey, wasn’t as starstruck, fuming about the traffic disruption.
“I don’t care if King Charles, LeBron James, Muhammad Ali or Abraham Lincoln was here. I want to cross the street in my city where I pay taxes,” he railed.
The rare royal visit also included a solemn visit to the 9/11 Memorial & Museum, where Charles and Camilla met with family members who lost loved ones in the 2001 terror attacks.
Camilla also toured the New York Public Library alongside “Sex and the City” star Sarah Jessica Parker, the library’s president, Dr. Anthony Marx, and Wintour.
Charles, meanwhile, dropped by Harlem Grown, a nonprofit that promotes sustainable living and provides educational programs for local youth. The king and UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper also met with a gaggle of business leaders from both sides of the pond at Rockefeller Center.
The royal visit marked Charles’ first time in the Big Apple since 2007. During his last hop across the pond, Charles and Camilla visited to the Promise Academy charter school in Harlem, where the now-king played basketball with the students.
