King Charles III made surprise appearance at Sir Antonio Pappano Gala

His Majesty King Charles III made a surprise appearance at the Royal Opera House's Gala Dinner celebrating the tenure of Sir Antonio Pappano on 16 May. King Charles III took to the stage of the Royal Opera House to honor Maestro Music Director Sir Antonio Pappano.

The one-off gala performance was organized as Sir Antonio steps down after 22 years as Music Director of the Royal Opera House. Charles has a particularly close relationship with Pappano, who conducted at the King's coronation last year.

After the performance, King Charles III took to the stage to receive a standing ovation. In a statement, Antonio Pappano said, "It was a great honor to welcome His Majesty the King to this wonderful evening with an outstanding orchestra, chorus, and an unparalleled ensemble of close friends and long-time collaborators." The music director, who left the Royal Opera House to take over as principal conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra, also told The Standard, "He was very generous with his praise and meant it."

Charles, who has been a patron of the Royal Opera House since 2009, was made a Knight Commander of the Prince of Wales by Charles. After celebrating Sir Antonio's career, King Charles went on to attend a series of events, attending five public events in a 48-hour period. The King was asked backstage how he was feeling physically at the moment, to which he replied, "Not too bad."