A day after addressing Congress and dining at the White House, King Charles III paid a surprise visit to Christie’s headquarters in New York on Wednesday.

The monarch and his wife, Queen Camilla, arrived at the storied auction house around 5:30 p.m. No, they weren’t there to bid on upcoming lots, like a $100 million Jackson Pollock or a $60 million Roy Lichtenstein (although they did pose in front of that Pop picture). They were attending a gala for the King’s Trust, a charity that aims to help young people from difficult backgrounds gain skills to get jobs.

Queen Camilla and Lionel Richie listen while King Charles III speaks on stage during the Greater Together Reception on day three of the State Visit of King Charles III And Queen Camilla to the United States of America, at auction house Christie’s, on April 29, 2026, in New York. Photo by Samir Hussein/WireImage

Some Christie’s staffers had been told to practice their curtsies, just in case. This came in handy. A Reuters photograph published by the New York Post shows Christie’s CEO Bonnie Brennan curtsying in front of the king while holding his royal hand on the red carpet outside.

The royals walked in through the house’s lobby and continued through its galleries, where trophies for its May auctions are displayed. Those sales will include the Aggie Gund collection, the S.I. Newhouse collection, and a Renoir estimated at $25 million to $35 million.

An eyewitness said that the honored guests “loved” Christie’s new rostrum, which debuted in London in March. It will make its New York debut during Christie’s marquee week in May. Made of sustainably sourced oak, the podium was designed by Jony Ive, the British American former Apple designer who also created the emblem for the King’s coronation.

Bonnie Brennan, Christie’s CEO, with the house’s new rostrum.

Co-chaired by Lionel Richie, the Grammy-winning American singer and songwriter, the gala drew attendees like Martha Stewart and former Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour. Dinner was held in the James Christie Room, the site of many high-stakes bidding battles, its walls hung with works by David Hockney, Salvador Dalí, René Magritte, and Childe Hassam.

King Charles addressed the guests, speaking about the importance of supporting young people facing difficult circumstances, the eyewitness said. A group of children and teens in red T-shirts received awards and posed for photographs.

King Charles III and Queen Camilla pose with young people from Chicago and New York who have taken part in the King’s Trust Global Enterprise Challenges, during the Greater Together Reception on day three of the State Visit of King Charles III and Queen Camilla to the United States of America, at auction house Christie’s, on April 29, 2026 in New York.  Photo by Samir Hussein/Samir Hussein/WireImage

“Christie’s is delighted to provide the venue for the King’s Trust Global Gala,” the auction house said in statement, adding, “It’s a privilege—especially as a London-based company celebrating its own 260th anniversary—to host an evening that will raise vital funds for such an important international cause.”

Earlier in the day, Queen Camilla stopped by the New York Public Library and King Charles visited the nonprofit Harlem Grown.