The First World Leader To Congratulate King Charles Is Someone No One Expected

During King Charles III's official ascension on September 10, which was a technological first, the newly appointed monarch was congratulated by an unlikely source. According to the Daily Mail, Vladimir Putin was actually the first world leader to congratulate the new king. In an unlikely turn of events, the Russian ruler extended his well wishes publicly before others followed suit, despite the seemingly tumultuous past between himself and Charles. As the Daily Mail reported, Charles was the first royal family member to call Putin out after Russia invaded Ukraine in early 2022. At the time, the king stated that Putin's actions were "an attack on democracy." Since then, the relationship between the pair has been considerably frosty.

However, Putin sent along his welcoming sentiments to the 73-year-old British monarch in a personalized letter that was then reposted on Twitter. The Russian Embassy's official U.K. account tweeted the brief statement, which read, "Please accept my sincere congratulations on Your Accession to the throne. I wish Your Majesty success, good health and all the best." Putin had received backlash earlier in the day after paying tribute to the late Queen Elizabeth II, in another unexpected act of sentimentality from the Russian leader.

In the original letter addressed to King Charles III, Putin expressed kind sentiments about Her Majesty, while also offering his condolences to the newly appointed monarch and his grieving family.