Royal News: King Charles welcomed in Samoa with traditional tea ceremony and ‘high chief’ title
The royals were greeted by dignitaries who appeared delighted to welcome them to the island nation
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King Charles was given a grand welcome in Samoa during his state visit, where he donned traditional Samoan attire and participated in a series of ceremonies.
He swapped his signature tailored suit for a short-sleeved white jacket and trousers he designed himself, as he was bestowed with the title of “Tui Taumeasina” or “King of Taumeasina.”
At the National University of Samoa, Charles took part in an ava ceremony, a symbolic ritual representing community unity. The drink, made from ava root and prepared by the head of state’s daughter, was offered to the King in a coconut shell. Following Samoan tradition, he poured a few drops before drinking, watched by village elders, dignitaries, and Samoa’s prime minister, Afioga Fiame Naomi Mata’afa.
The King and Queen Camilla were also gifted woven mats and a ceremonial pig carcass.
Their visit follows a controversial tour of Australia and coincides with the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, where the King will lead discussions on climate action.
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King Charles set to dance again on Samoa tour
King Charles should be prepared to show off his dance moves on his two-day whirlwind visit to Samoa.
Freddie Tuilagi made sure of that when he visited St James’ Palace recently wearing nothing but a bark cloth wrap and a necklace historically worn by orator chiefs.
Charles, in a blue suit and carefully knotted tie, grinned while gamely trying to follow along as Samoa’s honorary consul to the UK moved through the steps of a traditional dance.
“He loves it. He said he wants to learn the dance,” Tuilagi said afterward, showing off his moves once again.
Tuilagi, who moved to Britain to play professional rugby, said the 75-year-old king can expect more of the same when he arrives in the South Pacific Island nation on Wednesday.
Pacific Island State questions exclusion from Commonwealth meeting
The Pacific island of Niue has questioned why it was excluded from this week’s Commonwealth leaders meeting, with its prime minister calling for change.
Following its celebration of 50 years of self-government on Saturday, King Charles issued a congratulatory video.
Known informally as the Rock of Polynesia, Niue was settled by Samoans in 900AD and has a population of around 1,500.
Yet as Samoa hosts the 75th Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, where leaders and officials from 56 countries with roots in Britain’s empire are gathering in the Pacific for the first time, Niue, a realm of New Zealand, was not invited.
“There is no use being Commonwealth family yet we can’t attend these meetings. It’s a bit weird,” said prime minister Dalton Tagelagi in an interview.
“We have put through questions on how to become a member.”
The remote island, 635km (400 miles) south of Samoa, was sighted in 1774 by British explorer James Cook. He named it Savage Island, and Niue became a British Protectorate 126 years later.
Charles and Camilla ‘can’t wait’ to arrive in Samoa
The King and Queen have said they “can’t wait” to arrive in Samoa for a state visit and experience the “warmth” of the country’s ancient traditions.
Charles and Camilla ended their six-day tour of Australia and boarded a Royal Australian Air Force (Raaf) plane bound for the Polynesian nation.
Samoa’s prime minister Afioga Fiame Naomi Mataafa will be waiting to greet the royal couple when they step off their jet for the final leg of their overseas trip.
Soon after the Raaf plane took off the couple posted a message on social media under their names.
They said: “As we head towards Apia, we can’t wait to visit Samoa for the first time together and to experience the warmth of ancient traditions with your remarkable people. Feiloa’i ma le manuia!
- Charles R & Camilla R”
The tweet included a few words in Samoan loosely translated as “looking forward to meeting the Samoan people”.
Alpaca sneezes on King Charles during walkabout in Australia
One of the most light-hearted moments from the Australian royal tour saw an alpaca sneeze on King Charles III as he greeted crowds on a walkabout in Canberra.
Owner Robert Fletcher brought nine-year-old alpaca Hefner to meet the monarch outside the Australian War Memorial.
Hefner was calmly waiting — wearing a crown and a gold bow tie — before leaving the King “in disbelief” with a sneeze after Charles stroked his nose.
Mr Fletcher said: “The King just looked in disbelief. But it’s just who Hefner is. He is an alpaca after all.
“He doesn’t bite and he doesn’t spit. He’s always on his best behaviour anyway.
“And he is a pro-monarchy alpaca.”
In pictures: Charles and Camilla conclude Australia trip
King Charles’ visit to Australia ‘draws' smaller crowds compared to Queen’s 1954 tour
A prominent member of the Australian Republic Movement has pointed out that the late Queen Elizabeth II drew larger crowds on her first visit to the country as monarch than King Charles did.
Esther Anatolitis, co-chair, said while thousands turned out to see Charles and Camilla at their public engagements, the numbers were larger when his mother Elizabeth first visited Australia 70 years ago.
An estimated 75 per cent of Australia’s population saw the queen in person during the first visit by a reigning British monarch in 1954.
“It’s understandable that Australians would be welcoming the king and queen, we also welcome them,” Ms Anatolitis said.
“But it doesn’t make any sense to continue to have a head of state appointed by birth right from another country.”
Ms Anatolitis acknowledged that getting Australians in a majority of states to vote to change the constitution would be difficult. Australians haven’t changed their constitution since 1977.
How was King Charles's first Australia visit as reigning British monarch in 13 years?
King Charles completed the first visit to Australia by a reigning British monarch in 13 years on Tuesday.
Anti-monarchists are now hoping that the debate surrounding his visit will be a step toward an Australian citizen becoming head of state.
The King and his wife, Queen Camilla, watched dancers perform at a Sydney Indigenous community center as part of their packed schedule of engagements.
The couple used tongs to cook sausages at a community barbecue lunch at the central suburb of Parramatta and later shook the hands of well-wishers for the last time during their visit outside the Sydney Opera House.
Their final engagement was an inspection of navy ships on Sydney Harbor in an event known as a fleet review.
The trip was scaled down because of the King’s ongoing cancer treatment.
Indigenous activist arrested outside opera house
Indigenous activist Wayne Wharton, 60, was arrested outside the opera house yesterday before the royals greeted the crowd.
The monarch, 75, and his supporters were targeted by Mr Wharton who encouraged the crowds gathered at the Sydney Opera House to leave with the King.
“It will be alleged the man was acting in an abusive and threatening manner and had failed to comply with two previous move-on directions,” a police statement said.
He was charged with failing to comply with a police direction and will appear in court on 5 November.
Mr Wharton said he intended to serve Charles with a summons to appear in court on war crimes and for genocide but never got close to the couple.
King Charles to be offered high chief title in Samoa
King Charles will be offered the title of high chief in Samoa during his visit starting today.
The monarch is set to be shown the impact of rising sea levels due to climate change in the Pacific island nation.
Lenatai Victor Tamapua, a Samoan chief and member of parliament, said he planned to offer the title of ‘Tui Taumeasina’ to the monarch during a traditional ceremonial welcome to Charles and Queen Camilla tomorrow.
He will later lead Charles through a walkway on a mangrove reserve highlighting the impact of climate change on the Pacific nations and its communities.
“The king tide today is about twice that it was 20, 30 years ago, and that is affecting our land, and it’s eating away at some of the areas that are so hard for us to control, and people (have to) move inwards, inland now,” Mr Tamapua said.
Charles has spent a lifetime campaigning on environmental issues and in 2020 described global warming and climate change as the greatest threat that humanity has faced.
King and Queen continue royal tour with Samoa visit
King Charles and Queen Camilla are set to receive a formal welcome when they arrive in Samoa for their state visit.
Charles and Camilla will be greeted by the country’s prime minister Afioga Fiame Naomi Mataafa when they step off their jet.
Nearby will be an honour guard formed by the Samoan Police Force, who will be stood to attention for their royal guests.
Samoa is hosting a Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (Chogm) which has the theme “One Resilient Common Future”.
The King is head of the Commonwealth and for the first time will preside over the gathering of presidents and prime ministers, and formally open the event which will be attended by Sir Keir Starmer.
Charles deputised for Queen Elizabeth II during the last Chogm staged by Rwanda in 2022, and in Samoa will be joined by foreign secretary David Lammy.
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