Royal news live: King Charles says past can’t be changed as calls for slavery reparation grow in Samoa
The King drank the mildly intoxicating narcotic root drink kava at a traditional ritual in Samoa
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King Charles said the past cannot be changed as he indirectly acknowledged calls from some of Britain’s former colonies for a reckoning over its role in the trans-Atlantic slave trade.
The British royal understood “the most painful aspects of our past continue to resonate”, he told leaders at a summit of Commonwealth countries in Samoa.
But Charles stopped short of mentioning financial reparations that some leaders at the event urged for and instead exhorted them to find the “right language” and an understanding of history “to guide us towards making the right choices in future where inequality exists”.
Earlier in the day, Charles 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 and Camilla welcomed to Samoa with traditional tea ceremony
King Charles to face climate protests and calls for reparations as he heads to Samoa for Commonwealth summit
King Charles lands in Samoa to ceremonial welcome ahead of Commonwealth summit
King Charles’s poignant comments about Australian Indigenous people before senator accused him of ‘genocide’
King Charles heckled: What Indigenous Australian artefacts does Britain still possess?
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.
Read the full report:
King Charles submits plan to turn Balmoral into fairytale wedding venue
The King’s Scottish Balmoral estate is already open to the public on certain days
Watch: Alpaca sneezes on King Charles during walkabout in Australia
Princess Diana biographer Meghan Markle verdict: ‘She’s flawless about getting it all wrong’
The former editor-in-chief of Vanity Fair has given a withering assessment of Meghan Markle, claiming she is “flawless about getting it all wrong”.
Tina Brown, who led the magazine from for eight years until 1992, is no stranger to ranting about the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, having previously dubbed the couple as being “addicted to drama” and branding their exit from the royal family as a “disaster”.
She has now continued her tirade as she laid into Meghan’s judgement on The Ankler podcast. “The trouble with Meghan is that she has the worst judgment of anyone in the entire world,” she told podcast host Janice Min.
“She’s flawless about getting it all wrong.”
Read the full report from The Independent’s Athena Stavrou:
Princess Diana biographer issues withering Meghan Markle verdict
Tina Brown previously accused Prince Harry and Meghan Markle as being ‘addicted to drama’
King and Queen meet cricket team, rugby team, and church school
King toils away deep into the night, Queen jokes
Long after the Queen has gone to sleep, the King can be found “toiling” away into the small hours.
That’s what Queen Camilla joked of her 75-year-old husband’s diligence, as she gave a speech praising the work ethic of women.
At an event in Samoa led by leading domestic abuse campaigners from around the world, Camilla told the audience the legend of the men and women who were tasked with thatching the roof of Samoan chief Tautunu’s house.
“Although they started at the same time, the women finished their side first, as they had laboured through the night, while the men slept,” she told attendees of the women’s forum event at the major summit for Commonwealth leaders in Samoa.
“As one whose husband is often toiling into the small hours, long after my head is on the pillow, I should stress there are plenty of exceptions,” she added.
“But the moral of the proverb is: Women will turn their hands successfully to any task that must be done; and will work hard until it is completed.”
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