King Charles was beaming from ear to ear as he arrived at the premier of Gladiator 2 at the Odeon Luxe in London's Leicester Square.

The monarch was wearing a black suit as he stepped out of his car onto the red carpet on the eve of his 76th birthday.

Queen Camilla, who was originally due to attend the red carpet event, did not accompany her husband as she continues her recovery from a chest infection.

The showing of the highly anticipated sequel is the 72nd Royal Film Performance staged by the Film and TV Charity, and the first one Charles has attended as Britain's monarch.

Earlier the King welcomed directors, actors, TV presenters, stunt performers and costume designers at Buckingham Palace for a reception marking centenary of the Film and TV Charity, of which Charles has become patron.

The director of both the original Gladiator film starring Russell Crowe and its new sequel, Sir Ridley Scott, was also in attendance.

The Queen was at The King's side as they welcomed the guests, but left the event early as she recuperates.

Other attendees included actor Joseph Fiennes, actress India Amarteifio from the hit Netflix show Queen Charlotte, and TV presenter Claudia Winkleman.

Actress and filmmaker Emily Mortimer, speaking at the event, said King Charles demonstrating support towards the people who work in the British Film and TV industry "means so much".

"I feel like everybody is so excited to be here and it's very special. It's like they (the King and Queen) are noticing what's happening, and that it's part of the fabric of society.

"We're all here trying to do something that feels like an important contribution. As performers and people in this industry, it's nice to remember that actually, you may not do a job that looks like a grown-up job, but it really is an important contribution. Entertaining people is a massively important role."

A number of props and costumes from classic films were showcased at the Palace for the reception, including costumes worn by Joseph Quinn in his outing as Emperor Geta in Gladiator II, and the costume worn by the late Bernard Hill when he played Captain Edward Smith in The Titanic, directed by James Cameron.

A couple of Russell Crowe's costumes from Master And Commander: The Far Side Of The World were also on display, as well as the outfit worn by the late Dame Maggie Smith's in the 1982 film Evil Under The Sun.