King Charles Breaks Royal Protocol While Greeting Fans at Recent Engagement (& the Moment Was Captured on Camera)

King Charles was all smiles while saying hello to fans in Bradford, U.K. on Thursday afternoon—and appeared to be so relaxed that he even let his guard down momentarily. 

While visiting the city, His Majesty toured a local art gallery where the work of Bradford-born artist David Hockney was being displayed. The king must have been very moved by the exhibition and the warm welcome from the community, as he was snapped hugging a royal fan—a move that is generally considered to be against royal protocol.

The royal family's official Instagram account shared the touching photo with the caption: "A wonderfully warm welcome to Bradford today. During a visit to the David Hockney Gallery, which is dedicated to the artist’s life and career. The King met people involved in grassroots cultural activities and local community groups. His majesty also saw a performance by the Dantam of the Opera choir, a group of local Bradford City Football Club fans taught to sing opera by BBC Radio Leeds during Bradford’s City of Culture year."

According to the BBC, the royal fan was 15-year-old Florence McGrellis who told news outlets that the experience was "awesome."

This royal engagement follows the king and his wife Queen Camilla stepping out for a ‘Wonders of the Wild’ event at Kew Gardens earlier this week. The affair was hosted by The Elephant Family—a wildlife charity founded by the queen's late brother, Mark Shand. Buckingham Palace shared a few highlights from the fundraiser—but it was a Gossip Girl star's photo that really caught our eye.