King Charles gets his hands dirty at beach clean-up in Kent
The monarch, 76, dressed in a smart light brown summer suit, was seen collecting rubbish along the shoreline as part of an event organised by local environmental group Deal With It.
Beaming as he worked alongside volunteers, the King appeared in high spirits as he chatted with participants and helped clear debris from the coast.
Among those taking part were cadets from the Kent Wing Royal Air Force, Deal Army Cadets, Deal, Sandwich and Walmer District Scouts, and Dover and Deal Sea & Royal Marines Cadets, who regularly support local beach cleans.
The monarch also stopped by the Walmer RNLI Lifeboat Station in Deal, where he met volunteers and watched a lifeboat launch demonstration.
He was seen waving to crowds of adoring royal fans and chatting warmly with young military cadets during the visit.
Charles's appearance follows Emmanuel Macron's state visit to Britain - touring the grounds of Windsor Castle and visiting a horse gifted to the late Queen Elizabeth II.
But the French President has come under fire for seemingly breaking strict royal protocol after he walked in front of King Charles during a ceremonial inspection at Windsor Castle - prompting comparisons to US President Donald Trump.
Beaming as he worked alongside volunteers, the King appeared in high spirits as he chatted with participants and helped clear debris from the coast
The monarch, dressed in a smart light brown summer suit, was seen collecting rubbish along the shoreline as part of an event organised by local environmental group Deal With It
Macron, who was invited to inspect the troops in the Upper Ward of Windsor as part of a State visit, was seen strolling ahead of the monarch while reviewing the Grenadier Guards and Scots Guards.
In a GB News livestream of the event, Royal Correspondent Cameron Walker noted the potential breach and drew a pointed comparison.
He said: 'On your screens now you'll see the King is walking behind the President of France.
'If you remember a few years ago where Queen Elizabeth II invited President Trump of the United States, during his first term of office, to inspect a guard of honour, President Trump was heavily criticised for walking in front of Her Majesty the Queen.
'And as you can see on your screens here, President Macron is walking in front of His Majesty the King.
'Now, I understand that there shouldn't really have been perhaps so much of a hoo-haa with what President Trump did, as this is perhaps custom - that the King, as the host, gives way to the foreign head of state which is the honoured guest at Windsor Castle.'
Despite Walker's attempt to clarify the tradition, many viewers were unimpressed by the optics of the French President striding ahead of Britain's sovereign.
Social media erupted with criticism, with some users suggesting Macron's behaviour was a deliberate snub.
Among those taking part were cadets from the Kent Wing Royal Air Force , Deal Army Cadets, Deal, Sandwich and Walmer District Scouts, and Dover and Deal Sea & Royal Marines Cadets
One furious commenter wrote: 'He's doing it on purpose. He's French, he doesn't believe in monarchy and he's an absolute narcissist trying to feel like Napoleon for 5 minutes.'
Others echoed the suspicion, with one saying: 'I bet Macron is doing it on purpose. I bet he won't get as much criticism as Trump did.'
Another added: 'At least Trump corrected his error by waiting for the Queen to catch up, Macron thinks he is the supreme ruler there.'
In the video clip, Macron is seen conversing with members of the King's Guard as King Charles walks a few paces behind - a detail not missed by eagle-eyed royal fans.
One remarked: 'And conversing with the King's Guard, as though the King was not even there! Unbelievable.'
Some royal watchers placed the onus on the monarch himself, suggesting King Charles had failed to assert his position during the formal proceedings.
One commenter argued: 'I don't like it but The King has not asserted himself or held any position.
'By speaking at the WEF, he is basically a pawn in the game and positions himself on par with people like Macron… the King should not be aligning himself with such degeneracy.'
While criticism of Macron dominated much of the online chatter, a few more diplomatic voices suggested that the order of walking may have simply followed longstanding custom in which the host monarch steps back to allow the guest head of state to lead during troop inspections.
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