King Charles was greeted by Sir Keir Starmer just moments after the Prime Minister found his actions under intense scrutiny in a Select Committee meeting.
The King and the PM met at the British Museum to see final plans for a national memorial to Queen Elizabeth II, on what would have been her 100th birthday.
Charles III had already spoken movingly of his late mother as the centenary got under way.
However, by the time he met Sir Keir at the British Museum, minds had turned elsewhere after the evidence of Sir Olly Robbins, formerly top civil servant at the Foreign Office, to a Select Committee. He was grilled by MPs over the vetting of Peter Mandelson as US ambassador and said that Downing Street had a ”very strong expectation” that their pick would be cleared.
Peter Mandelson was revealed to have extensive links with convicted sex offender, Jeffrey Epstein, in the Epstein files that were released earlier this year.
Sir Olly Robbins also said that Number 10 had lobbied for another close associate, Matthew Doyle, to be given a diplomatic posting. Matthew Doyle was later suspended from the Labour Party for links to a convicted paedophile.
Sir Keir arrived at the British Museum for the long planned centenary event as the Lib Dem leader, Sir Ed Davey, described the evidence as ”incredibly damning” for the PM.
The Prime Minister was at the museum to view the final plans for the national memorial to Elizabeth II which will stand in St. James’ Park. It includes a new statue of her, wearing Garter robes, created by Martin Jennings. He will also create a statue of Prince Philip which will stand nearby.
The memorial will also feature a glass cast bridge designed to match the tiara that Elizabeth II wore at her wedding to Prince Philip. The Queen Mary fringe tiara is echoed in the constant string of glass lines that make up the bridge.
King Charles and Queen Camilla were joined by the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh for the event as well as the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester.
Meanwhile, the Princess Royal was in Regent’s Park to formally open the Queen Elizabeth II Memorial Garden.
Later on the anniversary, The King and Queen were set to welcome centenarians to Buckingham Palace for a celebratory tea party marking 100 years since the birth of Queen Elizabeth II.
