King Charles III put Son Heung-min in a rather uncomfortable position by asking about Tottenham Hotspur's form in front of club chairman Daniel Levy.
His Majesty was in north London on Wednesday to acknowledge the Premier League club's contribution to regenerating the local area, which is among the most underprivileged in the English capital.
The King, who was shown around the stadium by Levy, encountered Son during his tour. The South Korean, who is approaching a decade with Spurs, has had a challenging season with the team languishing at 14th in the league.
Spurs have only managed eight victories from 24 league games this term, and the pressure is mounting on manager Ange Postecoglou after recent exits from the Carabao Cup and FA Cup, with just the Europa League left as the club's only possible shot at silverware this season.
Despite the team's difficulties, Son greeted the King with a smile and answered His Majesty's question about their next match: "We are going to play against Manchester United on Sunday."
When the King asked: "Have you got a good chance?" Son remained optimistic, replying: "I hope so!" However, the monarch edged the awkward line when further questioning the forward: "Is the team in good order at the moment?"
The Spurs forward took a moment to reflect before responding: "We are in a difficult moment but we are working hard." To which the King swiftly inquired: "Are you?" And Son confirmed with a succinct: "Yes". It's been a particularly challenging season for injury-ridden Spurs, amplified by Son's own struggles.
Mustering only six league goals across 21 appearances, he is tracking towards his lowest output since his debut season in 2015/16, where he tallied a mere four goals in 28 matches. With just three goals in his last 15 league games, Son's form is quite the contrast to last season, when he netted 17 goals in 35 games with only seven other players scoring more than him.