Tom Daley ‘showing off chest’ in front of King Charles has Gay Twitter losing it

An unbuttoned shirt and NO TIE?! Tom Daley's casual dress for King Charles' garden party in Washington D.C. had the gays atwitter.

Mark Mark
May 1, 2026 - 20:00
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The invite for King Charles’ garden party in Washington, D.C., said “Hats Not Encouraged.”

In the case of Tom Daley, shirt buttons and neckwear were also frowned upon at the British Ambassador’s Residence this week.

The Olympic gold medalist is no stranger to meeting royalty, and jetted in from his home in Los Angeles for the day, rubbing shoulders with the King and Queen Camilla during their state visit.

While Tom did follow the lounge suit dress code, he couldn’t resist staying on brand by flashing a bit more flesh than the other guests.

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With his white shirt unbuttoned just enough to tantalize, alongside the canapés which included ‘Elderflower & Strawberry Victoria Sandwich Cake’ (YUM), the 31-year-old was firmly cast in the role of thirst-quencher.

After photos hit the wires of him shaking hands with His Majesty, who made the obligatory small talk about knitting (what else), “Gay Twitter” seized upon the delicious snack food being served up.

It turns out “the concept of showing off your chest in an open shirt to meet King Charles” is almost as newsworthy as the King’s deftly delivered speech to Congress.

Then in the comments: “When you’re as hot as Tom Daley, you do whatever you want and dress however you like it, and even the King will be excited to see you.”

Tom was certainly not the only out gay man in attendance. There was also Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, described unforgettably as “Patrick Bateman meets Sparkle Beach Ken” by California Governor Gavin Newsom earlier this year.

While you couldn’t exactly say the British twunk was dressed to impress, he slayed in the fashion stakes, in comparison to the administration’s very own American Psycho by Mattel.

“And the king appreciates his serve,” said one X user.

The comments got sassier about the former diver’s confident spring/summer chic. “If my t*ts looked like Tom Daley’s they’d be out everywhere and everyone would be so lucky to see them,” quipped another on the platform.

Even the gossip sites couldn’t look away. The Daily Mail weighed in on the look, jokingly asking if Tom “didn’t fancy knitting a tie” for the occasion (groan).

Naturally, the Mail preferred to focus on the traditionalists from social media who were moaning about our hero looking “really scruffy” (erm, no, he did not).

After the event, Tom shared a gallery of photos from the sunny afternoon. He clearly enjoyed the experience, writing: “Honoured to have been invited and what a wonderful royal reminder of home at the British ambassador’s residence.”

There was also the almost obligatory “Get Ready With Me” (GRWM) reel, as he walked fans through his grooming routine and outfit selection.

@tomdaley

GRWM for the Royal Garden Party at the British Ambassador’s Residence ????????????❤ ♬ original sound – Tom Daley

Amid the very serious business of international diplomacy, it was all a welcome distraction.

Although one Gay Twitter user did say: “Tom, you are meeting the f**king king, can you put your t*ts away for 5 f**king seconds?”

Well, you can’t please all of us.

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