The King and Queen have been given a ceremonial welcome as they arrived in Samoa for a three-day state visit following a colourful and at times controversial trip to Australia.
Upon arrival, Charles, who was dressed in a double-breasted grey suit, and Camilla, in a flowing pink dress, were given the red carpet treatment. The pair were all smiles as they were greeted by dignitaries who looked equally delighted to welcome them to the island nation.
The trip coincides with the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (Chogm), where the King will preside over discussions on climate change – a cause he has long championed.
Their arrival comes after the King shared a cheeky joke with a rugby player on the Australian leg of the royal tour. Charles, 75, met former professional rugby league player, Mark Geyer, at a barbecue in Sydney and remarked that he looked like could “still play”.
He proceeded to ask Mr Geyer why he had to retire. Mr Geyer replied that it was an issue with his groin. The King is reported to have quipped: “I know how you feel!”
Key Points
- Lidia Thorpe claims she swore allegiance to late Queen’s ‘hairs’ not ‘heirs'
- King Charles lands in Samoa to ceremonial welcome
- Aboriginal man arrested near Sydney Opera House on final day of royal tour
- King Charles makes cheeky joke to Aussie rugby player
Pictures: Charles gets warm welcome on his first visit as king to Samoa
04:55
Namita Singh
Push for reparations gains momentum at Commonwealth Summit
04:22
Namita Singh
A growing call for reparations for transatlantic slavery is set to take centre stage at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (Chogm), with several Caribbean nations and the African Union leading the charge.
Despite this rising movement, British prime minister Sir Keir Starmer stated that the UK would not raise the issue of reparations during the summit.
However, he expressed openness to engage in dialogue with leaders who wish to discuss the matter.
The Caribbean Community (Caricom) has established a commission aimed at securing reparations from former colonial powers, including the UK, France, and Portugal. Advocates argue that the enduring legacy of slavery has contributed to significant racial inequalities that persist to this day.
Opponents, on the other hand, claim that modern nations should not be held accountable for historical wrongs committed centuries ago.
A source from Caricom highlighted the significance of the summit for raising the issue in an interview with Reuters, noting, “Chogm presents an important opportunity for dialogue on reparations, and the region is keen to table it.”
Kingsley Abbott, director of the University of London’s Institute of Commonwealth Studies, echoed this sentiment, saying, “It is a priority for many of the Commonwealth’s member countries, and whenever those affected by atrocities ask to talk, there should always be a willingness to sit down and listen.”
The history of the transatlantic slave trade remains a deeply painful chapter for millions of descendants across the globe. Between the 15th and 19th centuries, an estimated 12.5 million Africans were forcibly taken from their homeland, with many enduring the harrowing Middle Passage. Those who survived were subjected to harsh, inhumane conditions, primarily on plantations in the Caribbean and the Americas, enriching European empires at their expense.
Commonwealth nations to discuss slavery reparations, climate change
04:09
Namita Singh
The leaders of the Commonwealth group of nations will meet at a welcome banquet in Samoa in the South Pacific today, with climate change and reparations for Britain’s role in the transatlantic slave trade on the agenda of summit discussions.
Leaders and officials from 56 countries with roots in Britain’s empire, as well as King Charles, are attending the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (Chogm) in the small island nation, that began on Monday. The countries’ foreign ministers also began a day of discussions today.
More than half of the Commonwealth’s members are small states, many of which are low-lying island nations at risk from rising sea levels due to climate change.
United Nations secretary-general Antonio Guterres has said ocean temperatures are rising in the Pacific Islands at three times the rate worldwide, and its population is “uniquely exposed” to the impact of rising sea levels.
“Climate change is an is an existential threat. It is the number one national security threat. It is the number one economic threat to the peoples of the Pacific and to many members of the Commonwealth,” Australian foreign minister Penny Wong told a news conference after a meeting with counterparts.
A number of African countries, including Zambia, warned the meeting about the escalating impacts of climate change, including the effects on food security, she added.
Charles will also be shown the impact of rising sea levels which are forcing people to move inland, a Samoan chief said.Island leaders are expected to issue a declaration on ocean protection at the summit, with climate change being a central topic of discussion.
Princess Diana biographer issues scathing Meghan Markle verdict
03:00
Emma Guinness
The former editor-in-chief of Vanity Fair has given a scathing assessment of Meghan Markle, claiming she is “flawless about getting it all wrong”.
Tina Brown, who led the magazine 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 judgement of anyone in the entire world,” she told podcast host Janice Min.
She added: “All of her ideas are total crap, unfortunately.”
This comes amid apparent delays surrounding the duchess’s new lifestyle brand, American Riviera Orchard.
Alpaca sneezes on King Charles during walkabout in Australia
02:00
Alexander Butler
Watch back our event: What do the royal family need to do to stay relevant?
Thursday 24 October 2024 00:00
Emma Guinness
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 premium 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.
Watch the full event here. If you enjoy our virtual events, please consider supporting The Independent with a donation or by subscribing to Independent Premium.
King Charles lands in Samoa to ceremonial welcome ahead of Commonwealth summit
Wednesday 23 October 2024 20:45
Alexander Butler
Lidia Thorpe claims she swore allegiance to late Queen’s ‘hairs’ not ‘heirs'
Wednesday 23 October 2024 16:00
Emma Guinness
Independent Senator Lidia Thorpe has insisted that she did not break her parliamentary oath by protesting King Charles’s appearance.
The Indigenous senator made headlines around the world when she accused the monarch, 75, of genocide and shouted: “You’re not my King!”
Ms Thorpe took her oath in 2022 when Queen Elizabeth II was still the reigning monarch.
She told ABC on Wednesday: “I swore allegiance to the Queen’s hairs if you listen close enough. It wasn’t her ‘heirs’. It was her ‘hairs’.”
King Charles’s visit to Samoa ‘means a lot’ to locals
Wednesday 23 October 2024 15:00
Emma Guinness
Locals in a small Samoan village have spoken of their excitement ahead of King Charles and Queen Camilla’s arrival.
Tuuu Schwenke, who lives in Siumu, said she could have never dreamed of the monarch visiting and said it means a great deal to the village, where the population is around 2,000 people.
“Who doesn’t want to meet the king?” she said, smiling.
“No one ever dreamed about the king coming to our village and knowing that he will be staying here is something that we take pride in and look forward to. This means a lot to us.”
Australian senator says King Charles has ‘stolen wealth’
Wednesday 23 October 2024 14:00
Emma Guinness
The Australian senator who dramatically protested King Charles’s Parliament House appearance has said the monarch has “stolen wealth”.
Lidia Thorpe, who accused the King of genocide and said that he was not her monarch, made the comments in the wake of her controversial outburst.
She told ABC on Wednesday: “I’m sorry Charlie, but you can’t come here and think that 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.”
Ms Thorpe, an Indigenous mother and grandmother, added: “This country wants to swear allegiance to a king from another country whose ancestors have been responsible for massacres, so many massacres in this country, killing our children and our women.
“Why would I, with my hand on my heart, kneel to an oppressor?”
Oliver Dowden pays tribute to King Charles during PMQs
Wednesday 23 October 2024 13:30
Emma Guinness
The shadow deputy prime minister Oliver Dowden took the opportunity to pay tribute to King Charles during Prime Minister's Questions on Wednesday.
During a fiery exchange with Angela Rayner, he described the king as someone “we can all agree is a hardworking person”.
The comments come amid the monarch’s ongoing tour of Australia and Samoa, which he has been praised for undertaking during his ongoing cancer battle.
Samoa rolls out the red carpet for Charles and Camilla
Wednesday 23 October 2024 13:00
Emma Guinness
The prime minister of Samoa gave a red carpet welcome to King Charles and Queen Camilla when they arrived in the country on Wednesday.
Upon arrival, Charles, dressed in a grey suit, and Camilla, in a pink dress, were greeted by dignitaries who looked delighted to welcome them to the island country.
Royal family celebrates ‘spectacular’ end to Australia tour
Wednesday 23 October 2024 11:40
Emma Guinness
The royal family have celebrated the “spectacular” end to King Charles and Queen Camilla’s tour of Australia.
They did so by sharing a video of the thousands of people who had turned up to greet the royals at Sydney Opera House.
“It was a spectacular end to Their Majesties’ visit to Australia at the iconic Sydney Opera House,” an official statement said.
“Thank you to all who came out to show their support – and for so many special memories.”
King Charles makes cheeky joke to Aussie rugby player
Wednesday 23 October 2024 10:42
Emma Guinness
King Charles could not help but make a cheeky joke to a rugby player on the Australian leg of his ongoing royal tour.
The monarch, 75, met former professional rugby league player, Mark Geyer, at a barbecue in Sydney and remarked that he looked like could “still play”.
He proceeded to ask Mr Geyer why he had to retire and was informed that it was an issue with his groin.
The King is reported to have replied with a laugh: “I know how you feel!”
King Charles lands in Samoa to ceremonial welcome
Wednesday 23 October 2024 09:19
Emma Guinness
King Charles and Queen Camilla landed in Samoa to a full ceremonial welcome ahead of the Commonwealth summit.
The monarch touched down in Samoa on Wednesday evening (22 October), to be greeted on the red carpet by a Guard of Honour.
The royal couple waved as they stepped out of their plane at Faleolo International Airport.
Prime Minister Afioga Fiamē Naomi Mataʻafa and Foreign Secretary David Lammy greeted them at the steps before they were introduced to a number of dignitaries.
The King was invited to inspect the Guard of Honour, which was composed of Samoan police officers as the country has no armed forces.
In pictures: Charles and Camilla land in Samoa
Wednesday 23 October 2024 08:05
Namita Singh
King Charles greeted by confronting climate change ads at Commonwealth meeting
Wednesday 23 October 2024 07:58
Emma Guinness
As King Charles arrived in Samoa for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, he and other delegates were met with striking ads calling for action on plastic pollution.
The campaign, led by Australian billionaire Andrew Forrest’s Minderoo Foundation, features a confronting image of a child vomiting plastic, displayed prominently at Samoa’s Faleolo International Airport.
Timed to coincide with the British monarch’s arrival, the campaign pushes for a global plastics treaty to be placed on the meeting’s agenda, 9News reports.
“A global plastics treaty is not a nice-to-have – it is a need-to-have,” said Jay Weatherill, the foundation’s director.
He highlighted the health risks faced by the 2.5 billion citizens of Commonwealth nations, many of whom are under 30.
The Minderoo Foundation has been advocating for such a treaty for two years, warning that current strategies like recycling and reducing consumer demand are insufficient.
King Charles to receive high chief title in Samoa
Wednesday 23 October 2024 07:16
Namita Singh
King Charles and Queen Camilla have left Australia for Samoa where the British monarch will address a Commonwealth summit and be given the title of high chief.
The couple are expected to be greeted by hundreds of people in the Pacific island nation which is holding its first Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in capital Apia this week.
Preparations for the summit and the royal trip have been going on for months. Hotels have been renovated and roads and streets where the couple is expected to visit have been spruced up, reports my colleague Shweta Sharma.
King Charles set to dance again on Samoa tour
Wednesday 23 October 2024 06:43
Emma Guinness
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
Wednesday 23 October 2024 06:40
Emma Guinness
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
Wednesday 23 October 2024 06:10
Emma Guinness
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
Wednesday 23 October 2024 06:00
Emma Guinness
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
Wednesday 23 October 2024 05:46
Namita Singh
King Charles’ visit to Australia ‘draws' smaller crowds compared to Queen’s 1954 tour
Wednesday 23 October 2024 05:33
Emma Guinness
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?
Wednesday 23 October 2024 05:31
Emma Guinness
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
Wednesday 23 October 2024 05:14
Emma Guinness
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
Wednesday 23 October 2024 04:33
Emma Guinness
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
Wednesday 23 October 2024 03:50
Emma Guinness
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.
Lidia Thorpe: Who is the Indigenous Australian MP who accused King Charles of genocide?
Wednesday 23 October 2024 03:00
Emma Guinness
Australian senator Lidia Thorpe has made headlines around the world after denouncing King Charles following his Parliament House reception speech.
Lidia Thorpe, 51, accused the British monarchy of genocide in a fiery speech before telling Charles “you’re not my King” as he returned to his seat from a lectern in Canberra.
Ms Thorpe later told the BBC that she wanted to send “a clear message” to Charles. “To be sovereign you have to be of the land,” she said. “He is not of this land.”
Find out more about her background and activism here:
King Charles and Queen Camilla continue royal tradition at Government House
Tuesday 22 October 2024 21:00
Emma Guinness
King Charles and Queen Camilla continued a longstanding royal tradition when they visited Government House on their Australian tour.
They took the opportunity to plant Eucalyptus trees in the garden, as has been done to mark every royal visit since 1985.
King Charles praised for open discussion of cancer diagnosis
Tuesday 22 October 2024 18:00
Emma Guinness
King Charles was praised for his open discussion of his cancer diagnosis while visiting the Melanoma Institute Australia in Sydney on his royal tour.
The monarch, 75, announced that he had been diagnosed with an undisclosed form of the disease earlier this year following a routine procedure to treat an enlarged prostate.
He visited the institute to learn about its revolutionary approaches to treating melanoma, one of the most common types of cancer in Australia.
Prof Scoyler, a leading pathologist, said: “It’s courageous of the King to go public with his cancer journey.
“Everyone’s different about how they feel about a cancer diagnosis. Some people are happy to go public with it, but it’s not the same for all patients, and I think we should respect that.
“But for us, what we’ve been talking with the King about today is melanoma and the incredible advances that we’ve made here.”
A history of royal tours Down Under: From a young Queen Elizabeth II to Harry and Meghan’s baby joy
Tuesday 22 October 2024 17:00
Emma Guinness
The royal family has been regularly touring and visiting Australia since the late 19th century, with the country playing host to several key moments in their history.
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