Richard E. Grant reveals the incredible act of kindness King Charles showed him days before his wife passed away

Richard E. Grant has revealed the incredible act of kindness King Charles showed him just days before his wife passed away. 

The actor, 67, made the candid confession in an emotional Instagram post on Wednesday as he reflected on his wife Joan Washington's final days.

The Saltburn star revealed that before his wife tragically passed away in 2021, the King visited her and the two sat in the garden and discussed life. 

Richard relayed the heartbreaking story alongside a video of himself walking through London to Clarence House for the King's Christmas party.

He captioned the post: 'Shortly before my wife died, Prince Charles came to visit her, sat in our garden, held her hands and talked about Life as she contemplated her own death. 

'Kindness, generosity, humour and compassion. Princely attributes fit for a King.'

The clip showed Richard walking through London, wrapped up in a dark coat and a grey scarf, explaining that he was on his way to some royal festivities. 

He told his followers: 'On my way to Clarence House, invited by the King for a Christmas reception, never thought id be saying those words.

He went on to reveal that he and his late wife had first met the King and his wife Queen Camilla when they got married almost 20 years ago. 

He said: 'My wife and I went to Prince Charles's wedding 19 years ago in 2005. I've known them for a long time.

'It's still a thrill to be invited to Clarence house Christmas party in the middle of London. 

'It's like a scene in a panto, I really do feel like Dick Whittington who's found his fortune in this amazing city.'

Dialect coach Joan tragically passed away aged 74, in September 2021 eight months after she was diagnosed with stage four lung cancer.

The couple met in 1986 and married later that year. They shared a daughter Olivia, 34.

Richard has been vocal in his grief since losing the love of his life and has admitted that he has lost friends as he battled heartbreak.

The pair had been together for 38 years at the time of her death.

'Subsequent to her death, I have had people cross the road rather than talk,' he said during a conversation at The Times and Sunday Times Cheltenham Literature Festival last year. 

'Whether they think you’re going to fall apart and you’re an emotional wreck, I don’t know. But I will never speak to them again.'

He also recalled an occasion in which a couple who had lived near to his and Washington’s Provence holiday home ignored him when he waved to them.

He said: 'As I walked towards them they both turned their heads. I thought, "F*** you." I felt I was being punished because Joan had died.

'They had never acknowledged it. Maybe they didn’t know how to deal with it.'

Richard announced the death of his wife in September 2021 and released a heartbreaking video of them dancing together.

He has since spoken about how he 'can't imagine falling in love again' after the death of Joan.

In an interview last year, Richard said he writes to his late wife of 35 years every day as the thought of her not being here is too much to bear.

The actor added while he has tried dating but 'nobody else has even come near' to Joan.

Of his grief, Richard told The Telegraph: 'I've now accepted that I will never understand it trying to imagine not being here is beyond my capacity for thinking.

'So, I write a letter to Joan every night about what's going on, and I find that it feels like I have a physical, tangible, ongoing conversation with her that's written down, I've found that really, really helpful. 

'Anticipating what she might think about this, or what is her opinion about that? Even the most mundane things.'

Richard said in the two years since Joan's death, he has been set up on blind dates by his friends but isn't looking to meet anyone.

'I think that what was so extraordinary about her is that I felt like I was truly seen and understood by another human being in a way that nobody else has even come near,' he said.

Richard said the idea he could find love again 'is so hard to conceive of' he can't imagine it ever happening again.

The Saltburn actor added he's 'certainly not internet dating'.

Richard acknowledged while Christmas is certainly a difficult time for the family, it is imperative he keeps up the traditions in which he and Joan set.

The actor said he will get a tree every year and hang decorations they have made each year since their second daughter Olivia (affectionally known as Oilly) was born.

Their first daughter, Tiffany, was born premature and died shortly after birth.