King Charles Sips Tea from 'HRH' Mug During Special Appearance on BBC's 'The Repair Shop'

King Charles, who filmed the cameo before Queen Elizabeth's death, brought two items in need of royal repair to The Repair Shop's expert team

King Charles II on The Repair Shop
Photo: The Repair Shop/Twitter

King Charles III knows that the right mug makes all the difference!

The new King, 73, chuckled when he was handed a mug emblazoned with "HRH" (standing for "His Royal Highness") on The Repair Shop, appearing on the BBC program for the network's centennial. On the special episode, Charles will see how the show's expert team of craftspeople restored two royal items of his choosing: an 18th century-clock and a ceramic piece from Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee.

In a sneak peek shared to social media, The Repair Shop host Jay Blades prepared two cups of tea moments before meeting the monarch, where he addressed how much it meant to have the royal come on the show. The episode was filmed before Charles acceded to the throne upon the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth, last month (he'd now have a different mug with "HM" for "His Majesty"). The segment was likely one of his final television appearances in his former royal role as the Prince of Wales.

"It's been a real honor to restore these items for a man who loves traditional heritage crafts as much as we do," Blades said in a voiceover.

Walking outside of the shop barn to meet the monarch, Charles laughed when the 52-year-old presenter offered him hot tea in the HRH cup, coordinating with Blades' own "J" mug, nodding to his first name.

"I don't believe it! Just what I needed," he said of the Earl Gray.

"You showed me around your manor, and now I'm going to have a chance to show you around mine," Blades said, possibly referencing his investiture as an MBE at Windsor Castle in May.

"We've got about 600 years of experience," he added of the repair team. "There is nothing we can't fix!"

King Charles III, then Prince of Wales with Jay Blades (left) during a special episode of The Repair Shop as part of the BBC's centenary celebrations. Issue date: Wednesday October 26, 2022.
Ian West/PA Wire via ZUMA

Elsewhere in the episode, Charles will meet students enrolled in The Prince's Foundation's Building Craft Programme, learning heritage building craft skills blacksmithing, stonemasonry and wood carving. Training through the 16-year-old program is designed to launch apprentices into successful careers in their chosen trade.

"This is an incredibly special programme which has the magic that Repair Shop viewers have come to know and love," BBC Commissioning Editor Julie Shaw said in a statement about the King's upcoming cameo in the show. "People will see the former Prince of Wales as you rarely see him — and he is as captivated by the skills of the team who work on his items as any of our Repair Shop visitors. The episode is a real treat and we hope that people enjoy it as much as we do."

Can't get enough of PEOPLE's Royals coverage? Sign up for our free Royals newsletter to get the latest updates on Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle and more!

The Repair Shop: A Royal Visit airs on BBC One at 8 p.m. local time.

Related Articles