The hilarious mistake waiter made after bumping into King Charles III at the pub

King Charles III might be the new reigning British monarch after a 70-year wait – but he still hasn't lost his signature sense of humour.

A royal friend recalled an anecdote from Charles and Camilla's visit to a pub in Mayfair, London before Christmas, revealing the King was left "lost for words" after a waiter accidentally bumped into him.

According to reports in a UK newspaper, a waiter carrying a tray of food triggered a bout of giggles from King Charles after he accidentally walked into him and apologised by saying: "Sorry, King."

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A friend of the monarch told MailOnline the waiter fumbled his words and forgot the royal protocol, which is to refer to the King as "Your Majesty".

"He opened the door to the room using his back, so he could keep both hands on the heavy tray. Then he bumped into someone," the palace source told the publication.

"He was later told by his boss that the King found it really funny and it was the first time he'd been called 'King'," the friend added. "In future, he should call him, "Your Majesty".'

Charles and Camilla had been visiting the pub in the days before leaving for Sandringham in Norfolk, where the monarch spent Christmas with the rest of the royal family.

It was the family's first Christmas without Queen Elizabeth II, who died on September 8, 2022.

According to onlookers, Charles was in a jovial mood over the festive period and was seen laughing and joking with well-wishers waiting outside Sandringham.

The new year also marks an important one for the new British monarch. Charles will be officially crowned on May 6, 2023, an historic event which has been wrought with speculation due to the ongoing feud between the royals and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.

Some reports have claimed Charles is still planning to invite Prince Harry and Meghan Markle to his coronation.

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However, it is unclear whether the former royals will join the rest of The Firm on May 6 – particularly given the upcoming publication of Harry's memoir, Spare, and his soon-to-be aired television interviews.

In a promotional clip for his interview with journalist Tom Bradby, Harry appeared to shut down rumours of a potential reconciliation with his father Charles and brother Prince William.

He claimed his family has "shown absolutely no willingness to reconcile".

Despite the bad blood, Harry also said he was still hoping to heal the rift. "I would like to get my father back," he added. "I would like to have my brother back".