The Prince of Wales was almost mistaken for a Time Lord when he stepped out of a Tardis – but luckily there were no Daleks in sight.
Charles walked into Doctor Who’s famous time machine when he visited a Kuala Lumpur co-working space for start-up companies, but was only transported a few feet into a members-only area.
The heir to the throne, who is on an 11-day tour of south-east Asia and India, met young entrepreneurs, tech-savvy school children showcasing projects, and established businesses during his tour of WORQ.
A Tardis has been created as the doorway from the public space into the private members area and, as staff walked through a nearby side entrance, Charles emerged from the replica of the BBC character’s sci-fi machine.
Charles enters through a door shaped in the style of Doctor Who’s Tardis during his visit to WORQ in Kuala Lumpur (Yui Mok/PA)
He joked with the waiting press saying “I should have gone through the side (door)” before sitting down to a meeting with executives from some of Malaysia’s established technology firms.
Andrew Yeow, 28, co-founder of WORQ which opened in March, said they had tried to create a relaxed, fun and practical working environment for fledgling businesses offering facilities like a gym, sleeping pods and a cafe, and much needed space for firms to grow.
He said: “The response to the Tardis has been good so far, a lot of people find it really cool. They don’t realise it’s a door it’s quite quirky and helps with the ambience.”
The 28-year-old added: “This is the first of its kind in Malaysia – a co-working productivity community, what I mean by that is we try and solve two big problems for new businesses.
“Real estate, issues of having to get an office, and issues entrepreneurs have like increasing sales or trying to connect with regulators or partners – we’re trying to help them by providing a supportive community.”