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Adorned in a large red neck garment and presented with a local narcotic brew, the King enjoyed a truly royal welcome as he was declared the “High Chief” of his Pacific realm in a traditional Samoan village.
Surrounded by tattooed and bare-chested Samoans in traditional garments, Charles and Queen Camilla appeared delighted by the colourful ceremony as they visited the Moata’a Village on day five of the 11 day tour of Australia and Samoa.
The King, dressed in white safari-style gear, was offered a mildly-intoxicating narcotic root drink in a half coconut, known locally as “kava”, a vital element of Pacific culture.
Charles enjoyed the drink in moderation – after Australia’s former deputy prime minister was hospitalised in 2022 after he drank too much of a local brew in a similar ceremony in Micronesia.
It comes as Sir Keir Starmer touches down in Samoa for the Commonwealth talks, with slavery reparations likely to be discussed among the leaders.
Commonwealth leaders are expected to agree plans to discuss reparations as they look at an agreement which could open up the conversation through a communique.
Downing Street said slavery reparations won’t be on the agenda, with Sir Keir calling for the leaders to instead be “facing forward”.
In pictures: Charles visits O Le Pupu-Pue National Park
Why was a remote Moata’a village in Samoa chosen to welcome royals?
The Polynesian country of Samoa is highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change including tropical cyclones and storm surges, flooding, and more severe and longer-lasting droughts like other Small Island Developing States.
Moata’a village was chosen to welcome the royals after the area was badly affected by flooding in 2018 and in response the community’s council developed a plan for future natural disasters and has established a mangrove conservation area which the King visited.
Moata’a village chief Tofaeono Lupati Fuatai said: “The King is the perfect advocate for us as a nation. Climate change is real, it is now and we must urge the world to acknowledge how perilous it is for nations such as ours.”
ICYMI: Husband and wife team behind Princess Diana’s wedding dress settle High Court claim
The fashion designers behind Diana, Princess of Wales’s wedding dress have settled a High Court claim over the sale of the drawings for the famous royal gown.
David Emanuel had filed a lawsuit against his ex-wife Elizabeth Emanuel, claiming that she had infringed his copyright by reproducing drawings of the designs on which they had collaborated. The drawings, including those for Diana’s wedding dress, were put up for auction without his consent, he said.
The one-time husband and wife team announced on Friday that they had settled the case “amicably.” Terms of the settlement weren’t released.
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Pictured: Charles meets Samoan head of state
Mike Tindall reveals what the late Queen was like behind closed doors
Mike Tindall, the late Queen’s grandson-in-law, says the Queen’s life “wasn’t like an episode of Downton Abbey”.
The world cup winning rugby union player, who is married to the Queen’s granddaughtr Zara Tindall, revealed what the Queen was like behind closed doors in his joint book ‘The Good, The Bad and The Rugby – Unleashed’, released alongside podcast co-hosts James Haskell and Alex Payne.
“I’m sometimes asked if the Queen did informality like ‘normal’ people, and the answer to that is yes,” Mr Tindall said.
“Her life wasn’t like an episode of Downton Abbey, with meals on long tables and everyone dressed in their finery every night, and Zara and I would often watch the racing with her on TV, as I’m sure lots of people reading this have done with their gran.
“Lunches were also relaxed, especially up in Scotland, where lunch would often be heading out into the open space of the Scottish Highlands for a picnic.
“There’s a great picture of my daughter Mia sitting with the Duke of Edinburgh that captures exactly what those afternoons were like: members of a very close family who loved each other dearly spending precious time together. Yes, there’s a lot of drama surrounding the royal family, but they aren’t much different to anyone else underneath it all,” he added.
Mike Tindall’s awkward joke about ‘filling in’ Prince Harry
Mike Tindall found himself in trouble after he joked about the royal family wanting to “fill Harry in”, podcast co-host James Haskell revealed.
Podcast hosts Tindall, Haskell, and Alex Payne have reelased a book called ‘The Good, the Bad & the Rugby – Unleashed’, in which Haskell revealed the awkward joke.
“[Mike] even got into a bit of trouble when he appeared on a live version of A Question of Sport: he told a story about him and Iain Balshaw pretending to punch Prince Harry at a post-World Cup final party in 2003 and joked that the royal family wanted to fill him in for real,” Mr Haskell explained.
“I say trouble but it was a bit of a minor kerfuffle, nothing to write home about.”
But the story came back into public consciousness when that “very odd bloke Omid Scobie started sticking up for Harry and Meghan,” Haskell wrote, according to the Mirror.
“Loads of trolls went in on Tins, especially about him wanting to fill in a young, defenceless Harry. All context, sarcasm and humour lost, when things are taken out of the zone they were meant to be in.”
The Indigenous senator who heckled the King has intensified her criticism of the British monarchy, accusing it of complicity in the “genocide” against Australia’s First Nations peoples.
Sen. Lidia Thorpe’s comments came after she was escorted out of a parliaentry reception on Monday after shouting out criticism of British colonizers for taking Indigenous land and bones towards the King.
She received political and public backlash, but in an interview with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, has refused to stand down.
“The colonial system is all about shutting black women down in this country,” Ms Thorpe explained. “For those that don’t agree with what I have said and what I have done, I can tell you now there are elders, there are grassroots Aboriginal people across this country and Torres Strait Islander people who are just so proud.
“I have decided to be a Black sovereign woman and continue our fight against the colony and for justice for our people.
“I’m sorry, Charlie, but you can’t come here and think you can say a few nice words about our people while you still have stolen goods. You are in receipt of stolen goods, which makes you complicit in theft,” she said.
UK foreign secretary ‘honoured’ to join King on state visit
Foreign secretary David Lammy has joined the King and Queen during their visit to Samoa, speaking of his mother’s adoration for the royal family.
“Growing up, my mother adored the Royal Family. Her late Majesty The Queen’s life of service exemplified the values that unite our country and society,” Mr Lammy wrote in a post on X.
“His Majesty The King continues that legacy of service. Honoured to accompany His Majesty for the first time on a State Visit.”
Mr Lammy will meet with his fellow foreign ministers in the Commonwealth, as they look to mobilise investment across the membership through the Investment Plan of Action.
He said in a statement: “Representing some of the world’s fastest growing economies, forging stronger ties with these markets is crucial for delivering jobs and economic growth.
“This government is reconnecting Britain in the world and building partnerships that will unlock greater prosperity for all.”
What do the royal family need to do to stay relevant?
Can the royal family and King Charles adapt to the modern age and stay relevant? Will Harry be able to rejoin The Firm? And what will the next generation of royalty be like?
These and more questions from our audience were answered in The Independent’s virtual event on the future of the royal family.
Hosted by assistant editor Victoria Harper, the panel features bestselling authors Anna Pasternak and Tessa Dunlop, plus royal historian Jonathan Spangler.
What do the royal family need to do to stay relevant?
Can the royal family and King Charles adapt to the modern age and stay relevant? Will Harry be able to rejoin The Firm? And what will the next generation of royalty be like? These and more questions from our audience were answered in The Independent’s virtual event on the future of the royal family. Hosted by assistant editor Victoria Harper, the panel features bestselling authors Anna Pasternak and Tessa Dunlop, plus royal historian Jonathan Spangler. If you enjoy our virtual events, please consider supporting The Independent with a donation or by subscribing to Independent Premium.
King Charles submits plan to turn Balmoral into fairytale wedding venue
Childhood dreams of a royal wedding may now become reality, as the King looks to open up the historic Balmoral estate to the public.
On the banks of Aberdeenshire’s River Dee, the world-famous royal Scottish residence has been a private property of the monarch since 1852, serving as the death place of the late Queen Elizabeth in 2022.
In what could become a dream-come-true for royal enthusiasts looking to tie the knot, Charles has now submitted plans to allow a part of the Balmoral estate, the Queen’s Building, to be used as a fairytale wedding venue and reception space for other events.
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