King Charles emerges from Doctor Who's TARDIS to open Commonwealth Games in Glasgow

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Britain's King Charles III, centre, steps out of the the Dr Who Tardis police box as he arrives at the start of the Commonwealth Games opening ceremony in Glasgow, Scotland, Thursday, July 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)

Scottish flags are waved by fans as the Scotland team arrives on stage during the Commonwealth Games opening ceremony in Glasgow, Scotland, Thursday, July 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup) — Britain's King Charles III, centre, steps out of the the Dr Who Tardis police box as he arrives at the start of the Commonwealth Games opening ceremony in Glasgow, Scotland, Thursday, July 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)

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4:28 PM on Thursday, July 23

The Associated Press

GLASGOW, Scotland (AP) — King Charles III took his time before officially opening the 23rd Commonwealth Games in Glasgow after emerging Thursday from the TARDIS of intergalactic adventurer “Doctor Who.”

More than 3,000 athletes from 74 nations and territories will compete across 10 sports and six Para sports in the 11-day event. Charles formally opened the Games in his role as head of the Commonwealth.

The opening ceremony show began with a clip of what organizers called “the world’s most famous police box” from the iconic sci-fi TV series going on a journey around Scotland. After visits to Loch Ness, the Kelpies, and Edinburgh Castle, it stopped to pick up Charles and Queen Camilla at Balmoral Castle.

It then materialized inside the Hydro arena — appearing on an onstage garden — and Charles and Camilla emerged, making their way down a ramp before taking up seats in the royal box.

Like mother, like son

Charles is not the first British monarch to make a memorable entrance to a major sporting event’s opening ceremony.

In 2012, Queen Elizabeth II famously took part in the opening ceremony of the London Olympics, with a video of her appearing to skydive into the stadium from a helicopter with James Bond actor Daniel Craig, after he escorted her from Buckingham Palace.

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