Vanessa Williams says King Charles came across as "down to earth" when they met.

The former Desperate Housewives star had a brush with royalty at last year's Royal Variety Show in London. Reflecting on her time in the British capital--where she's lived for the past two years - the American actress called meeting the "lovely" monarch the highlight of her UK chapter so far.

Exclusively talking to BANG Showbiz at the Variety Club Showbusiness Awards held at The Londoner Hotel, Leicester Square, London, on Sunday night (10.19.25), she said: "I did the Royal Variety Show last year, and after, we got a chance to meet him. "

Asked what he was like, she replied:" Lovely, down to earth, personable, one-on-one."

Vanessa portrays Miranda Priestly in the West End adaptation of The Devil Wears Prada, and with eight shows a week, she confesses she relies on "double tea bags" to get through it.

She said: "You mean like caffeine - for sure! I have double tea bags in my tea all of the time."

The 62-year-old actress also spilled that she does her own makeup for the show, and is always joined by her pet pooch in her dressing room.

Asked if she has any pre-show rituals, she said: "I always play music, do my own makeup, which we have to, my dog is with me, and he's by my side. And then chat, gossip, find out what's going on with everybody in the cast."