‘Why not’: King giggles as he finds himself in group hug with New Zealand rugby team

UK

The King found himself in the middle of a group hug from a rugby team.

During a reception at Buckingham Palace, New Zealand player Winger Ayesha Leti-I’iga asked to hug the monarch, to which the King replied: “A hug, why not?”

That was enough of a greenlight for the multiple Black Ferns players, who are in London to play against England’s Red Roses, to embrace the King for a group hug.

Pictures of the 75-year-old monarch, who in February revealed he had a form of cancer, showed him giggling as he found himself in the middle of an affectionate scrum.

The King later made the squad laugh during an impromptu speech, when he said: “I much appreciated this chance to meet you and have such a warm hug from most of you,” adding “very healing”.

Image:
The King found himself in the middle of a scram. Pic: PA via Reuters


Follow Sky News on WhatsApp

Keep up with all the latest news from the UK and around the world by following Sky News

Tap here

Details of his first major tour since his cancer diagnosis were released on Tuesday, with the King and his wife planning to travel to Australia and make a state visit to Samoa for a Commonwealth leaders’ summit.

An earlier plan to include a visit to New Zealand had to be cancelled “on doctor’s advice”, with “tough decisions” taken for the remainder of the trip, which will take place from 18-26 October.

More on The King

The King expressed his sorrow at being unable to reach New Zealand and said: “I’m extremely sorry I can’t come to New Zealand in later October because of doctor’s orders, but I hope there’ll be another excuse [to come] before not too long.”

Image:
Pic: PA


Read more:
King wears kilt in Scotland visit
King attends church on second anniversary of late Queen’s death

During the event, the monarch performed a hongi, a traditional Maori symbolic greeting of pressing of noses, with Allan Bunting, the Black Ferns’ head coach and director of rugby.

The players also performed a waiata, a traditional welcome song, after the King expressed his sympathy following the recent death of New Zealand’s Maori King Tuheitia.

He confessed to one group that he played in the second row during his rugby days at school and said he broke his nose playing the sport.

The King said: “It was the worst position, it was a bit dangerous sometimes.”

Articles You May Like

Court verdict on transfer rules will ‘change football landscape’
LinkedIn goes deeper into puzzle games with Tango, following success of Queens
Climate change made Helene 200x more likely – but just 3% of TV news said so
Car ‘deliberately’ driven at people, leaving five in hospital
Biden pulls out of Starmer meeting over Hurricane Milton