He may not have been able to attend the christening of his granddaughter, Princess Lilibeth California earlier this month.

But King Charles was happy to share the joy of another family.

Last Sunday, the 74-year-old monarch was in the parish of a Cotswold church when he discovered six-month-old Alice Elizabeth Windell had been christened.

Her happy parents, Christopher and Rebecca, happily posed for photos with their daughter after the “lovely and completely unexpected surprise”.

A photographer present said it was “an event to be talked about for a lifetime.”

As King, he is now the Supreme Governor of the Church of England, but Charles has long been a regular Sunday worshipper, quietly attending the local church wherever he is in the country.

His youngest grandchild, Lilibeth, one, was christened in California on March 3 at Harry and Meghan’s Montecito mansion, the couple recently told US celebrity magazine People.

Journalists close to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex later said they had invited the king, queen consort and the prince and princess of Wales, but none attended.

However, the British sovereign and his wife could never fly to the US for a private family event of this nature due to security and urgent government matters.

William and Kate are also no longer on speaking terms with the Sussexes following Harry’s repeated attacks on them and the royal family as part of their lucrative US media deals.

As King, he is now the Supreme Governor of the Church of England, but Charles has long been a Sunday regular, quietly attending a local church wherever he is in the country

Between 20 and 30 guests were reported to be in attendance, including Meghan’s mother, Doria Ragland, and billionaire mogul Tyler Perry, who lent the couple a home in Los Angeles when they first moved to the US.

They later asked him to be Lilybeth’s godfather, Mr Perry revealed in the Netflix series last December, adding that he would only agree if he did not have to travel to the UK. He flew to the event from his home in Atlanta on a private jet.

It was later revealed that Harry’s aunts, Lady Jane Fellowes and Lady Sarah McCorquodale, sisters of the late Princess Diana, were also present.