King Charles III was left repeatedly asking his aides one question as he was stranded in a torrential downpour during the latest stop of his Antigua royal tour. The King and Queen Camilla attended a parade to celebrate Antiguan and Barbudan independence, but the heavens opened on the couple, leaving them out in the rain.
Arrival at the Independence Parade
The King and Queen arrived at Sir Vivian Richards Stadium for the 45th annual Antigua and Barbuda Independence Parade shortly before 6.30pm local time. Within moments of their arrival and stepping onto the dais, the heavens opened, and Camilla, dressed in a white Anna Valentine gown, quickly turned to ask for an umbrella from her staff.
After signalling several times, a personal protection officer rushed to her aid with her trusty clear umbrella as she headed to the sheltered seating area to take her position to watch the remainder of the parade.
King Left in the Rain
The King, on the other hand, appeared to be overlooked by aides as he was still standing in the deluge, repeatedly asking "where's my umbrella?" while gesturing with his arms. Eventually, his equerry dashed over with a compact black umbrella as he made his way into the middle of the cricket ground to inspect the Guard of Honour as it carried on raining heavily.
Charles stood on a small dais as dozens of troops stood to attention on the cricket pitch, now a parade ground, then moved off sheltering under the umbrella to inspect the service personnel.
Royal Engagements and Tour Context
When the King returned, he was cheered by the crowds, just as he was when he arrived, and acknowledged their warmth with a wave. Charles and Camilla then met leading individuals recognised for their service to the country across public life, from culture, sport and education to community service.
Charles arrived in the Caribbean nation on Friday ahead of his opening of a Commonwealth summit on Tuesday, hosted by Antigua and expected to be dominated by talks about the issue of slavery. Charles is making a nine-day tour of the Caribbean, and when he arrived in the Bahamas on Tuesday, his first leg, the King acknowledged the "great suffering of the past" and confirmed the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) would discuss the legacy of slavery.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham has offered "structured dialogue" with those affected by the transatlantic slave trade and expressed his "sorrow and regret for the pain and suffering of so many millions", but has ruled out considering financial reparations. Antigua's prime minister said he had great respect for the King, who is the head of state in the island nation, but has spoken of his country becoming a republic.
