Denzel Washington was unsure about royal protocol when meeting King Charles, leaving him baffled over whether to shake his hand.

King Charles was beaming from ear to ear as he arrived at the premier of Gladiator 2 at the Odeon Luxe in London's Leicester Square. The monarch was wearing a black suit as he stepped out of his car onto the red carpet on the eve of his 76th birthday.

Denzel Washington experienced an awkward encounter with King Charles III during the London premiere of "Gladiator II."

See "Gladiator II" premiere photos of Ridley Scott, Denzel Washington, Paul Mescal, Connie Nielsen, Pedro Pascal and others.

Denzel Washington appeared starstruck as he shook hands with King Charles III at the Gladiator II premiere at London’s Leicester Square. The King, attending the screening at the Odeon Luxe Theatre solo on the eve of his 76th birthday,

It’s standard for the film’s stars lined up on the red carpet to greet the king before heading into the theater

Veteran actor Denzel Washington seemed to get a bit tongue-tied in the presence of King Charles III during the Gladiator II premiere. Washington graced the red carpet on Wednesday night for the premiere of the action-adventure film,

Denzel Washington has gone viral after an awkward remark the Gladiator II actor made about meeting King Charles at the Gladiator II premiere.

Awkward! On Wednesday, November 14, Denzel Washington, 69, fumbled his introduction with King Charles, 76, at the Gladiator II premiere in London. The Malcolm X star and the monarch met at the movie showing alongside Washington’s co-stars Paul Mescal,