It’s not every episode of American Idol that includes royalty. A historical appearance was made on Sunday night when King Charles III and Queen Camilla dropped by to say hello to show hosts Katy Perry and Lionel Richie. Both of the singers are hosts of the popular singing competition television show. They took time off to cross the pond and sing at King Charles’s coronation concert. Charles and Camilla made a quick appearance with them from Windsor Castle Sunday.

At the start of the American Idol episode, Ryan Seacrest said Idol was going to make “history” during tonight’s episode “across two continents.” He then panned to a message from Perry and Richie, who were live from Windsor Castle and brought out none other than Charles and Camilla to make their first-ever Idol appearances. The royal family isn’t exactly known for appearing on reality television.

There is an attempt to make the king appear less stuffy and capable of having a little fun. The appearance was awkward, to be sure, but Charles did try to seem like a regular celebrity making a guest appearance on a television show. Both he and Camilla spoke, though Charles was the one doing most of the talking.

It was cute. The very brief appearance was not as cringe as it could have been and it was a nice thank-you gesture to Katy Perry and Lionel Richie for performing at his concert. Charles looked a little more comfortable than Camilla but she always looks uncomfortable to me. It was a nice hello to American viewers. The Amerian Idol hosts explained where they were and why they were there. Then they faked their surprise when Charles and Camilla walked on.

In a pre-taped segment, Lionel Richie and Katy Perry had called into the latest episode of Idol to explain their absence as they were in London performing at Sunday’s The Coronation Concert in celebration of Charles acceding to the throne. Speaking to Idol host Ryan Seacrest, Richie and Perry appeared to be in a grand room inside Windsor Castle, where the concert took place.

Charles and Camilla then wander into the shot and rather awkwardly ask when Richie and Perry would be finished using the room they were filming the segment.

Two crown subjects, Alanis Morissette (Canadian) and Ed Sheeran (Suffolker) filled in as guest judges with regular judge Luke Bryan on the episode Sunday night. There were other celebrities among the guests at the coronation concert.

Taking place on the grounds of Windsor Castle, The Coronation Concert saw members of the royal family and thousands of spectators witness performances from the likes of Richie, Perry, Paloma Faith, Olly Murs, Take That, Andrea Bocelli, Bryn Terfel, Steve Winwood, Lang Lang and Nicole Scherzinger. The event was hosted by Paddington star Hugh Bonneville.

Also in attendance were Hollywood stars Hugh Jackman, Tom Cruise and Pierce Brosnan.

Sex Education star and incoming Doctor Who Time Lord Ncuti Gatwa acted out excerpts from Romeo & Juliet alongside Call the Midwife’s Mei Mac, and hundreds of voices from across the Commonwealth sang as part of a choir for the king, who watched from the royal box with Queen Camilla, the Princess of Wales, Prince George and Princess Charlotte.

Richie holds a role with a charity close to the King’s heart, thus likely the reason he was asked to perform. He was named a global ambassador for The Prince’s Trust in 2019. Katie Perry serves as an ambassador for the King’s British Asian Trust.

Actor Tom Cruise made a surprise appearance during the concert via a pre-taped video. He told King Charles that he could be Cruise’s wingman any time. This video played during a portion of the program when Charles’s military service was being highlighted.

Screen legend Tom Cruise took the coronation concert of King Charles III to new heights Sunday when he made a surprise appearance in a pre-recorded message.

“Pilot to pilot, your Majesty, you can be my wingman any time,” said Cruise — from the the cockpit of his P-51 airplane, an America-made long-range, single-seat “fighter-bomber” model originally used in World War II.

The pre-taped video was screened over a segment in which former James Bond star Pierce Brosnan, 69, and adventurer Bear Grylls, 48, discussed the king’s military service in the royal Navy and Air Force from 1971 to 1994.

The concert, which was attended by 20,000 people, featured several jaw-dropping performances — but 60-year-old Cruise’s cameo was definitely a showstopper for newly crowned King Charles, 74, and Queen Camilla, 75.

We’ll see how successful Charles is in trying to appear to be the people’s king. He and Camilla did make a surprise appearance after the coronation ceremony and went to shake hands and say hello to people lined along the street.