On arrival, His Majesty was met by the Lord Lieutenant of Warwickshire, Mr Tim Cox, and representatives of Stratford-upon-Avon as well as RSC Co-Artistic Directors Daniel Evans and Tamara Harvey and RSC Development Director Robert Dixon, before taking his seat for the performance.

During the interval, His Majesty met with members of the RSC’s in-house costume team Alistair McArthur (Head of Costume), Emily Kiefer (Head Costume Cutter) and Hazel Coombs (Assistant Textile Effects Supervisor) to hear more about the specialist skills and craftsmanship involved in the creation of costumes for the stage.

He also viewed a selection of costume items from the RSC’s historic archive, which is one of the most significant Shakespeare and theatre collections in the world, spanning from the 1600s to the present day.

Items on display included costumes worn by Sir Antony Sher from Richard III (1984), Dame Judi Dench’s Countess costume from All’s Well That Ends Well (2003), David Tennant’s robe and gown from Richard II (2013) and the crown from the RSC’s 2025 production of Edward II, in which Co-Artistic Director Daniel Evans played the title role (all pictured below).

Following the conclusion of the curtain call, His Majesty was escorted backstage to meet members of The Tempest cast and creative team, including director Sir Richard Eyre and Sir Kenneth Branagh, who plays the part of Prospero.

He also met with some of the 70+ strong team of production staff responsible for bringing The Tempest to the stage, including staff Automation, Stage & Props, Running Wardrobe, Stage Management, Lighting, Sound, Video and Production Management.

His Majesty also had the opportunity to meet with RSC Running Wardrobe Apprentice Hassan Ahmed and Learning Partnerships Manager Kris Overend, alumni of the King's Trust, to hear more about their respective routes into the industry.