King Charles appears in high spirits as he chats with guests at Buckingham Palace reception ahead of the Powerlist Black Excellence Awards

• King Charles III, 74, hosted a Buckingham Palace reception ahead of the awards 
• READ MORE: Touching moment King Charles reminisces over photograph of Treetops

King Charles appeared in high spirits as he greeted leading figures from British African and Caribbean communities at Buckingham Palace today.

The royal, 74, threw his head back in laughter as he enjoyed chatting with guests at a reception ahead of the Powerlist Black Excellence Awards – which honours the most influential people from the community.

This year’s top ten include hit podcaster Steven Bartlett, John Lewis Partnership  Chair Dame Sharon White, former Apprentice winner Dean Forbes and Baron Simon Woolley – the first Black man to head an Oxbridge college.

One snap saw the monarch delightfully greeting Baroness Amos – who was last year appointed Lady of the Garter by the late Queen Elizabeth – and other photos showed him in deep conversation with esteemed attendees.

Elsewhere, he also spoke with Baroness Scotland of Asthal.  

One snap saw the monarch delightfully greeting Baroness Amos – who was last year appointed Lady of the Garter by the late Queen Elizabeth

Charles opted for a chic light grey suit, adorned with a dusky blue tie.

He appeared relaxed and cheerful, holding onto a drink while mingling with others at the event this afternoon. 

The Powerlist has been around since 2007, and is primarily sent to schools, universities and corporate organisations to celebrate the talent of young people of African and African Caribbean heritage. 

The awards will be held tomorrow, and include flashy sponsors such as J.P. Morgan, pwc, Meta and Google.

It comes as earlier this week, the King was seen sweetly reminiscing over a photograph of Treetops – where the then-Princess Elizabeth was when King George VI died in his sleep in the early hours of February 6, 1952. 

It was here, in this Kenyan location, that she began her historic 70-year reign.

The King was accompanied by Queen Camilla, 76, as they viewed part of the Royal Collection at a reception for the Kenyan diaspora in the UK, as was filmed looking at the photograph and appearing to say it was ‘extraordinary’.

Hosted at Buckingham Palace, the event highlighted the Royal Family’s long standing connection to the Kenyan nation.

The event was held to celebrate the warm relationship between the two countries and the strong and dynamic partnership they continue to forge ahead of their Majesties state visit to Kenya.

King Charles appeared in high spirits as he greeted leading figures from British African and Caribbean communities at Buckingham Palace today

Charles also chatted with Baroness Scotland of Asthal, pictured second from right, during the event today

The royal, 74, threw his head back in laughter as he enjoyed chatting with guests at a reception ahead of the Powerlist Black Excellence Awards 

Charles opted for a light grey suit, teamed with a dusky blue tie. He appeared delighted to chat with guests 

The Powerlist has been around since 2007, and is primarily sent to schools, universities and corporate organisations to celebrate the talent of young people of African and African Caribbean heritage

The King looked in great spirits as he made his way around the event and chatted to guests 

He appeared relaxed and cheerful, holding onto a drink while mingling with others at the event this afternoon

Charles appeared in high spirits while he chatted with guests at Buckingham Palace for a reception today 

Treetops – Kenya’s oldest safari lodge – was an elaborate treehouse on the edge of a watering hole in Aberdare National Park. 

The property was rebuilt after being burned down by guerillas a few years later, but when the Queen and Prince Philip stayed, their accommodation was a comfortable three-bedroom shack, with a small servants quarter, built in the upper branches of a giant fig tree.

However, in 2021, it was forced to close after nearly 90 years of welcoming royalty. 

Elizabeth was not originally destined to become Queen. However, she became heir presumptive after her father, King George VI, ascended to the throne following the abdication of his older brother, King Edward VIII.

Edward had given up the throne to wed American divorcee Wallis Simpson, as marrying a woman who had separated from her husband was deemed incompatible with his role as head of the Church of England.

During the afternoon before hearing the news of King George VI’s death, Princess Elizabeth spent the day with her camera snapping charging rhinos and a waterbuck goring a rival to death from her elevated vantage point.

Jim Corbett – her armed escort and after whom the Corbett National Park in India is named – later told that when she was invited to come for tea, the princess requested taking it on the balcony, saying: ‘I don’t want to miss one moment of this.’

In the Treetops logbook, Corbett penned: ‘For the first time in the history of the world, a young girl climbed into the tree as a princess and climbed down as a queen.’

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