A royal welcome to Wrexham: King Charles III meets famous club owners

A Philly guy, a Canadian and a king meet to talk soccer. It’s not the pitch for an unlikely buddy comedy but the result of King Charles III’s trip to Wales on Friday.

The British monarch and Camilla, the queen consort, visited Wales on Friday and the royal couple attended a ceremony at St. Giles Church in Wrexham, Wales. They were there to commemorate Wrexham earning “city status” during Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee celebration earlier in 2022.

The visit led to some surreal images when King Charles III arrived at The Racecourse Ground, home of Wrexham AFC. There he met the club’s famous owners: actor Ryan Reynolds, the star of “Deadpool,” and Rob McElhenney, the creator and star of the FX TV series “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.”

Reynolds, from Vancouver, and McElhenney, from Philadelphia, made the northern Welsh city known outside of the U.K. when they purchased Wrexham AFC in 2021. The club, which finished second in the National League of English Football in 2021-22, has had its ups and downs covered in the docuseries “Welcome to Wrexham.”

Welcome to Wrexham Season 2: Charles in Charge. pic.twitter.com/TrwPkIMCzX

— Ryan Reynolds (@VancityReynolds) December 9, 2022

Reynolds said that he and McElhenney wanted to elevate the club and the city.

“Having the king pay a visit is certainly one way to do it, that’s for sure,” he told Reuters.