King Charles’ birthday: Latest updates as gun salutes ring out across London for monarch who turns 76 as he spends day tackling food waste after Gladiator II premiere appearance

King Charles yesterday shared a laugh with actor Damian Lewis as he hosted a glittering reception at Buckingham Palace to celebrate the centenary of the Film and TV Charity.

Among all the famous faces, it was the 53-year-old Homeland star who made the royal roar chuckle in a conversation about Henry VIII.

Lewis is currently starring as Henry VIII in Wolf Hall: The Mirror and The Light – a historical drama following Oliver Cromwell’s last four years of life, which saw him established as one of the most powerful men of the era.

Talking of his role in the show, which the King is understood to have watched with his wife Queen Camilla, Damian cheekily told Charles: ‘At least you can claim not to be related to him!’

Charles found light in the comment and laughed with the actor before adding: ‘You are fantastic in it.’

While the King is not a direct descendant of Henry VIII – his daughter Elizabeth I had no children – Charles is related to the Tudor monarch through Henry’s father, Henry VII.

The King is the Patron of the Film and TV Charity, succeeding Queen Elizabeth II, who had held the patronage since 1952.

King Charles joked that a young girl who presented the royal with flowers at the Gladiator II premiere was ‘not allowed to watch’ the famously gory film.

The monarch, 75, couldn’t help but chuckle as Kaitlyn Coleman, seven, and Sophie Alger, four, gave him a brochure and a bouquet as he arrived for the screening at Leicester Square this evening.

‘Where’s your mummy,’ he asked one of the children, after he received his gifts before the showing.

When told that the mother was at work, Charles laughed while telling the kids the movie is not suitable for them.

In another sweet moment, the King gently tapped one of the young girls on her shoulder in thanks, after receiving his flowers.

The Royal Family has posted a tweet wishing King Charles a happy birthday as he turns 76.

The King visits Oxfordshire to launch the project on his 75th birthday

King Charles will today open two hubs that will distribute surplus food to food banks, schools and community centres as part of his Coronation Food Project which aims to tackle food waste.

The scheme seeks to bridge the gap between food waste and food need across all four nations of the United Kingdom.

It involves saving surplus food, creating a network of Coronation Food Hubs and funding further food-rescuing initiatives.

Working with charities FareShare and the Felix Project, the Coronation Food Project has so far saved around 940 tonnes of surplus food – equivalent to 2,240,000 meal portions.

£15 million has been raised to design, build and run a network of up to ten Coronation Food Hubs across the UK.

King Charles made a film-star worthy entrance as he arrived for the Gladiator II world premiere at Leicester Square last night in his state Bentley limousine.

The royal spent the eve of his birthday watching the highly anticipated blockbuster, hot off the heels of a glittering reception he and Camilla hosted to celebrate the centenary of the Film and TV Charity.

He looked dapper in a black tuxedo, teamed with a bowtie, at the red carpet where the monarch smiled for the cameras.

Earlier in the evening, Charles and his wife chatted with A-listers including the film’s director Ridley Scott as they welcomed a slew of stars to Buckingham Palace.

See our video below of the King meeting the cast on the red carpet:

Good morning and welcome to MailOnline’s live coverage as King Charles marks his 76th birthday.

Far from putting his feet up to celebrate the occasion, the monarch will spend the day opening two hubs that will distribute large volumes of surplus food to food banks, schools and community centres.

However, his birthday will be rung in by gun salutes across London.

The King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery will fire a 41 Gun Royal Salute from 12pm in Green Park and The Honourable Artillery Company will fire a 62 Gun Royal Salute from Tower Wharf from 1pm.

Join us for the latest updates on the King throughout the day plus all the reaction and birthday well wishes.