A Liverpool charity campaigner has revealed how he deliberately flouted royal etiquette during his OBE investiture at Windsor Castle last month to secure additional time with King Charles.
Mark King, 63, from Childwall, received the honour for his charitable work and greeted the monarch with the quip: "From one King to another."
When his allotted audience concluded, and the King extended his hand as the customary signal to move on, the founder of the Oliver King Foundation refused to comply.
Instead, Mr King placed his own hand on top of the King's, prompting the monarch to burst into laughter at the breach of protocol.
King Charles left in stitches as grieving dad deliberately breaks royal protocol: 'I haven't finished!'
|GETTY / THE OLIVER KING FOUNDATION
Prior to the ceremony, Mr King had been informed during a briefing that recipients typically receive two to three minutes with the sovereign, after which the monarch would offer his hand as a cue to depart.
"So, I thought, 'I haven't finished talking to you,' and he put his hand out, so I put mine on top for a few seconds more," Mr King explained.
"He knew and burst out laughing, but it was great. The whole experience was fantastic."
The 63-year-old expressed satisfaction that the King was already familiar with his foundation's work and showed genuine interest, asking specifically about his late son Oliver.
Mark King, who set up the Oliver King Foundation, was made an OBE in the King's Birthday Honours list for services to Public Health
|PA
Mr King established the Oliver King Foundation following the death of his son, who suffered a cardiac arrest at the age of 12 during a swimming lesson at King David High School in Wavertree.
The tragedy transformed the grieving father into a tireless advocate for improved access to life-saving equipment in schools and public spaces.
His campaigning efforts have proven instrumental in changing government policy, resulting in every state school in England now having access to a defibrillator.
"To be fair, he knew a lot about the foundation, and he said, 'Tell me about Oliver,'" Mr King recalled of his conversation with the monarch.
Mark King photographed with his family after the investiture
|THE OLIVER KING FOUNDATION
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The Oliver King Foundation has distributed 7,000 defibrillators since its inception, with more than 80 lives saved as a direct result of this work, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.
Mr King's ambitions extend beyond his current achievements, with plans to establish the UK's first cardiac testing and prevention centre in Liverpool.
While acknowledging pride in receiving his OBE, the campaigner insisted the honour held less significance than his ongoing mission.
"This isn't for me. This is for our Ol," he said, dedicating the recognition to his late son's memory.