The monarch’s ride on a tank at Dorset’s Tank Museum on Monday, July 6, was captured in a clip shared on Instagram
Credit: Chris Jackson/Getty; Chris Jackson/Getty
NEED TO KNOW
- King Charles was seen riding a Challenger 2 tank while visiting the Tank Museum in England on Monday, July 6 in a video shared on Instagram
- The visit marked his first as Colonel-in-Chief of the Royal Tank Regiment since taking the role in 2023
- The outing coincided with his son, Prince Harry’s arrival in the U.K. for charity events
King Charles was seen looking “cool” while riding a tank in a clip shared to social media.
On Tuesday, July 7, the Tank Museum in Bovington, in the south west of England, posted a video on Instagram from the King’s visit with the Royal Tank Regiment that occurred the day prior.
The 77-year-old monarch was captured on camera wearing a white shirt and striped tie, paired with an army helmet and sunglasses, as he rode in a tank alongside armed personnel. During the clip, he briefly raised one hand to wave to onlookers while using the other to hold onto the vehicle, as bagpipes played in the background.
“You may be cool… but you’ll never be King Charles III riding in a Challenger 2 tank cool 😎,” the Tank Museum captioned the footage.
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The King’s smart attire for the military visit was a striking contrast to when his son, Prince William, sported camouflage for a tank ride during an Estonia trip in 2025.
“I love the visual of the king in a dress shirt and tie riding around in a tank ❤️,” one person commented on Instagram.
“Looks like you’re having fun Your Majesty,” another wrote.
King Charles arrived at the Tank Museum in a 1920 Pattern Rolls-Royce Armoured Car, the oldest vehicle in the Tank Museum’s working fleet, PEOPLE previously reported.
After greeting the museum staff, he was photographed presenting medals to soldiers on parade and speaking with their families and friends.
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The Royal Family shared the snaps on Instagram with the caption: “🏅 Today at the Tank Museum in Dorset, The King presented medals to soldiers from the Royal Tank Regiment in front of their families.”
“This was His Majesty’s first visit to the regiment since becoming Colonel-in-Chief in 2023,” the caption continued. “The King also heard from museum staff about their work to explain the history and significance of tanks, before riding in a Challenger 2 Main Battle Tank.”
Credit: Chris Jackson/Getty
The King’s outing coincided with his youngest son, Prince Harry‘s arrival in the U.K. for a series of events linked to some of his longstanding charities, including the one-year countdown to the 2027 Invictus Games in Birmingham.
It was previously reported that Prince Harry had been given the chance to stay at Buckingham Palace while in London, with his spokesperson saying in a statement obtained by PEOPLE that the offer was withdrawn after he formally accepted it. Palace sources have disputed the claims.
Credit: Chris Jackson / POOL / AFP via Getty; Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty
After learning his family would only receive police protection on royal property, the Duke of Sussex decided his wife Meghan Markle, 44, and their children, Prince Archie, 7, and Princess Lilibet, 5, would not accompany him to London.
The trip would have been the family’s first visit back to the U.K. since 2022.
Prince Harry made his first London outing at the premiere of Misan Harriman’s new documentary, Shoot the People, on Monday evening.
“He’s really happy to be back in the U.K. and really looking forward to the week’s engagements,” a spokesperson told PEOPLE on Tuesday, July 7.
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