Telling choice? Starmer seated next to King's senior aide at State Banquet
The King's Principal Private Secretary sat next to the Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer at the State Banquet in Buckingham Palace on Tuesday, little more than a week before the General Election.
The prime minister, meanwhile, was seated next to a celebrated computer scientist from his home town of Southampton.
Given the King will, at the end of next week, be asking one of the party leaders to form the next government, it was an interesting choice of seating plan.
The State Banquet was held in the Buckingham Palace Ballroom as part of the official visit to the UK this week by the Emperor and Empress of Japan.
The guests also included the Liberal Democrat Leader Sir Ed Davey, and members of the Cabinet, like the chancellor and foreign secretary, alongside senior members from both royal households.
The principal private secretary to the King and Queen, the equivalent to a Chief of Staff, is former diplomat Sir Clive Alderton.
He is the King's most trusted adviser and was with Charles and Camilla when they were the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall.
As Starmer and Alderton tucked into poached Scottish langoustines on a nest of cucumber, they undoubtedly talked about the election campaign so far and about events next week as votes are counted in the early hours of Friday, July 5.
Later that day, if there is a clear result, King Charles will either meet with Sunak and ask him to form a new administration, or he will meet him to bid farewell and invite Starmer, to form His Majesty's Government.
The only time there hasn't been a clear result, in 2010, it took five days to hammer out a coalition deal before David Cameron could see the late Queen Elizabeth.
This is the Talking Royals - our weekly podcast about the royal family, with ITV News Royal Editor Chris Ship and Producer Lizzie Robinson
Rishi Sunak was seated next to Dame Wendy Hall, an eminent computer scientist from the University of Southampton who co-chaired the government's artificial intelligence (AI) review.
Whilst most of the rest England watched the national team take on Slovenia in their final group match of the Euros, the three Party leaders tucked into baked filet of Cornish turbot and listened to a speech by the Japanese Emperor.
King Charles spoke about the strength of Japanese and British relations and made a birthday message to Hello Kitty!
The King even made a joke about the Pokémon phrase "gotta catch 'em all", although he said it will resonate more with his grandchildren than him.
Emperor Naruhito spoke of the "sad period during which the friendly relationship between our two countries suffered".
He also inserted into his speech a section about the engineering feat that is the Thames Barrier.
The River Thames is one of the Emperor's favourite subjects (he has even written a book about it).
Tuesday evening was also the first occasion at which King Charles III's Family Order has been seen - after being worn by Queen Camilla.
The Family Order is a badge worn by female members of the Royal Family bestowed by the Sovereign, and usually features a portrait of the Monarch surrounded by diamonds on a silk bow.
The tradition dates back 200 years and was initiated by King George IV, and followed by Queen Victoria, Edward VII, George V, George VI and Elizabeth II.
It is pinned to the left shoulder at formal evening occasions when other orders and decorations are worn.
The King and Queen's guests, Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako, studied at Oxford University and they will both make a visit to their former college later this week .
Have you heard our podcast Talking Politics? Every day in the run-up to the election Tom, Robert and Anushka dig into the biggest issues dominating the political agenda…