Awkward moment Irish actor Paul Mescal is asked about meeting King Charles goes viral as fans reel over 'deeply inappropriate' exchange

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The awkward moment Irish actor Paul Mescal was asked about meeting King Charles has gone viral, with fans branding the exchange 'deeply inappropriate' and lauding Paul for 'choosing honesty over consequences'.

Ireland gained independence in 1921 following eight centuries of political and military intervention.

While the late Queen Elizabeth has been credited with helping to rebuild relationships between the nations the subject is still sore for many, leading to a tense moment when Paul, 28, was asked about the royals during the Los Angeles premiere of Gladiator II on Monday.

Asked by Variety's Marc Malkin how 'wild' it was to meet King Charles last week at the London premiere, a bemused Paul answered: 'It's never something I thought was on the Bingo cards. I'm Irish, so it's not on the list of priorities...'

The County Kildare native continued: 'But it's an amazing thing for [director'] Ridley [Scott] because I know how important that is for him. So to see his film celebrated in that context was pretty special.'

Asked what he said to the King, Paul shared: 'You just kind of nod along and err... I found it kind of hard to hear what he was saying because your head is in such a frenzy. So you're kind of just nodding along and smiling.'

Reacting to the exchange, fans wrote on X/Twitter: 'I bet it was a nice experience. meeting up with a king? jeeez'; 'I genuinely think asking Irish people about the British royal family is so deeply inappropriate ngl'; 'god i love the reactions from irish actors when they make them meet the royal family';

'He is so real'; 'he really went there '; '"What do you say to the king?" Lmaooo why did he ask him that'; 'The interviewer needs to read the room and msybe some history!'; 'That was diplomatic of him, considering.; 'Bro chose honesty over consequences wow'; 'So basically he doesn't care' [sic].

Last Wednesday, King Charles, 75, spent the eve of his birthday watching Gladiator II at London's Leicester Square premiere.

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

The King also met the movie's stars including Denzel Washington, Connie Nielsen and Pedro Pascal - before settling down to watch the screening.

Queen Camilla had to pull out of the event due to an ongoing chest infection, telling director Ridley: 'I am so sorry I'm not coming tonight. I'd be coughing throughout it.'

During King Charles' exchange with Oscar-winning actor Denzel, the pair shook hands as the royal asked him: 'Are you playing someone terrible?'

The actor replied: 'I'm a lovely man, you'll see.' The King added: 'You've been in so many films, fantastic.'

A nervous-looking Denzel also said to the King: 'I didn't know whether I was meant to grab you or not' as they shook hands.

The original Gladiator, starring Russell Crowe, won five Oscars and grossed $465.4 million worldwide at the box office.

Gladiator II sees the return of Connie Nielsen, but the rest of the cast is largely new.

Paul stars as Lucius, the son of Crowe's character Maximus. He follows his father's fate and becomes a gladiator after a Roman army led by General Marcus Acacius (Pedro Pascal) takes control of his home.

As part of Lucius' plan for revenge, he risks his life to fight in the arena for Macrinus (Washington), a former slave.

Macrinus' uses Lucius as part of his plan to overthrow the dual emperors Geta and Caracalla, as he hopes to assume their throne.

The film has so far attracted praise from critics, and it boasts an impressive 76 percent fresh rating from critics surveyed by Rotten Tomatoes.

The Royal Family's complicated relationship with Ireland The British monarchy has had a long and chequered relationship with Ireland.

Queen Elizabeth II's forebear Henry VIII was the first sovereign to pronounce himself king of the country in 1541.

But his declaration came more than 350 years after the English conquest of Ireland was set in motion by Henry II.

The Norman monarch invaded the country in 1171 and received homage from the King of Leinster and other rulers.

His move - partly to help the Leinster monarch regain his lands from another ruler and for Henry to assert his authority - started more than 800 years of dominance by the British.

Yet by the reign of Henry VIII the sovereign had little influence in the country and when the powerful Anglo-Irish barons, the Fitzgeralds of Kildare, challenged his authority he confiscated their lands and declared himself king.

Over the centuries Britain's domination of Ireland left the country's people embittered and it was during Queen Victoria's period on the throne the nation suffered its worst tragedy.

The great potato famine of the 1840s saw millions starve or flee the country for a life abroad.

During her lifetime Victoria visited the nation four times and was said to have been enthusiastically welcomed during her last visit to Ireland at the beginning of the last century.

Her first trip came in 1849, just after the famine, and she travelled to County Cork, the capital Dublin and Belfast.

The monarch returned in 1853 and described in her diary how some of the Irish were 'wretched looking people all in rags' and 'lively and excitable', a further visit came in 1861 and the final tour in 1900, the year before she died.

The push for self rule would finally reap its rewards for the Irish early in the 20th century but freedom from Britain would come at a price - a bloody war of independence and a painful partition in 1922.

In 2011, Queen Elizabeth made history with her visit to Ireland - marking the first visit from a monarch in 100 years.

She joined Irish president Mary McAleese to lay wreaths at the Garden of Remembrance for those who died fighting for independence.