Royal reporter breaks silence on interaction with King Charles: 'Painful'

King Charles, known for his keen sense of humour, left a royal reporter stunned with a crucial piece of advice.

The 77-year-old monarch, who was a keen amateur jockey in his younger years, shared his experience as an advice to The Sunday Times' royal editor Roya Nikkhah, who's taking part in racing at York racecourse to raise money for Macmillan Cancer Support, a charity of which the King is patron.

Revealing the details of her meeting with the British monarch, she called the training "the most challenging, intense experience" of her life.

The journalist has been training in Lambourn, Berkshire, where the King trained in his younger days.

It happened when Charles visited York Hospital to open the new Sir Robert Ogden Macmillan Cancer Centre.

The King passed on some royal fitness tips before she gets into the saddle on the big day. Some of them were more palatable than others.

Writing for the publication, Roya said: "When I told the King that many of my early mornings - alarm at 4am, 90-minute drive and riding by 7am - are currently spent training on the Lambourn gallops, his eyes lit up. I remember doing that, long ago. Keep going with the training."

He then proceeded to give Roya the royal fitness tip. "'You're riding so short [stirrups], it's about the most exhausting thing I've ever done.

"So what I found, was to really improve your fitness and to get your legs really strong, [for] riding short - the best thing for it is to ride a bicycle without the saddle, no seat. It really works.' Just the thought was painful."

Roya admitted that she was yet to try out Charles' tip, although she did pass the gruelling 'jockey fitness test'.

On Saturday (June 13), instead of attending Trooping the Colour, she will be racing over a mile and a furlong alongside 10 other amateur jockeys in the Macmillan Ride of their Lives charity.

On the other hand, Harry's long-awaited reunion with his dad is still on the cards as he's set to visit the UK for an Invictus Games event this summer.

Royal commentator Ingrid Seward also believes that the monarch could still extend an invitation to the Sussexes if the Duke of Sussex is willing to agree to and follow certain rules.