Revealed: What King Charles told a young Aussie footy fan when he asked the monarch how much he knows about the AFL

King Charles is a noted polo enthusiast – and now it can be revealed the monarch still remembers Aussie Rules football 54 years after he attended a game in Melbourne.

The revelation came after a youngster asked the king about the AFL on Tuesday as he joined Queen Camilla in Canberra’s National Botanic Gardens during their royal tour.

School student Leo Turner, 12, asked the King if was knew anything about AFL – and his response was succinct.

‘Yes, I’ve heard of it,’ Charles said.

Leo then asked the King to name his favourite sport, to which the 75-year-old replied, ‘I can’t do much now. Too many injuries. I used to sit on a horse.’

It comes after then-Prince Charles joined his mother, the late Queen Elizabeth II, at a historic Sunday Aussie Rules game back in 1970.

The Queen attended the season-opening clash between reigning premiers Richmond and Fitzroy in the VFL at the MCG alongside her late husband Prince Philip, Charles and Princess Anne.

King Charles (pictured in Sydney on Tuesday) the first reigning British monarch to visit Australia in 13 years 

The cover of Football Record featured the Queen when she attended a VFL match in 1970 between Richmond and Fitzroy at the MCG – accompanied by then-Prince Charles

Pictured: The Queen is introduced to Fitzroy stars in the middle of the MCG

The royals arrived in a cavalcade, with strict instructions to be followed – and the occasion rattled some of the footy players.

Roger Dean was the Tigers captain that year and recalled how flustered he got when tasked with introducing his teammates.

‘I thought, I hope I remember all the players’ names,’ Dean said.

‘I couldn’t believe I was talking to royalty.

‘He [Prince Charles] seemed nice enough, he didn’t say much, just being courteous to the players, ‘Enjoying the game?’ and ‘It’s a very hard game, isn’t it’. 

‘It was pretty formal. It probably bored him to snores.’

Richmond’s 1980 premiership coach Tony Jewell actually blamed the presence of the Queen and other royals for the shock loss.

‘We trudged into the rooms at halftime far from pleased with ourselves as we led by only a few points, when we were expected to wipe Fitzroy almost at will,’ he said.

‘We just could not concentrate on the job at hand….and instead of being able to gather our thoughts during the break, there were all sorts of people running around the rooms at halftime.

‘Some were trying to explain protocol, others were explaining how to line up, and others were handing out instructions. For example, we were told not to say anything – not a word – to the Queen, unless asked a question.

‘She didn’t say anything to me, so my meeting with the Queen was nothing more than a very quick shake of her gloved hand.

‘I also remember that we had to change into clean guernseys and wash our hands at half-time.’