King Charles' reaction to guests turning up to palace wearing Crocs leaves people seriously divided

A hilarious photo collection of King Charles III has gone viral this week, reportedly showing the monarch reacting to a number of St James's Palace guests rocking up to a sophisticated soiree in Crocs.

A hoard of much-loved British artists were invited by the King yesterday (24 June) to celebrate 25 years of the Royal Drawing School.

Charles - who founded the school in 2000 - was joined by wife, Queen Camilla at the reception, which celebrated a number of the facility's most successful alums, and its generous supporters.

The event served as the opening for a new, specially-curated anniversary exhibition titled 'The Power of Drawing: Marking 25 Years of the Royal Drawing School', to which Charles, 76, had donated one of his own original drawings.

Several guests could be seen wearing Crocs (James Manning - WPA Pool/Getty Images)

Among the huge names in attendance were painter and printmaker David Hockney, gothic filmmaker Tim Burton, and designer and architect Thomas Heatherwick. Contemporary ceramicist and tapestry weaver Grayson Perry also made an appearance at the high-profile art gig, alongside autobiographical and confessional artist Tracey Emin.

The latter two guests' attendance have seemingly caused quite the stir, however, after they jointly turned up to the formal get-together wearing Crocs. You know, the clog-shaped foam footwear that first shot to stardom in the late 00s before (some would say tragically) reemerging in the past few years.

And as we say, a photographer allegedly caught King Charles' response to the controversial Crocs, with a number of photos of the monarch's shocked reaction having since gone viral online.

And while we can't say for sure that the informal footwear was the trigger for the King's horror, it has since sparked a huge debate online with regards to royal etiquette.

Charles appeared surprised in a number of photos (James Manning - WPA Pool/Getty Images)

"I don't have much time for the royal family but people turning up to the palace in Crocs is just indicative of the decline of standards in the UK," one social media user chimed in after catching wind of the Croc snaps.

"Then don’t encourage it. Ask them to leave," another advised Charles.

"Meeting King Charles at the palace? Crocs might raise eyebrows—opt for polished shoes to match the royal vibe," a third suggested.

Another hit out: "They should not get past the security gates. People should not lower standards of dress in official spaces."

Others have seemingly found Charles' response to the shoes rather amusing, with one gushing: "That is absolutely hilarious."

Another mocked: "Can tell Charlie doesn't shop at Tesco."