New photographs of the King and Queen have been released to mark the end of their autumn tour to Antigua and Barbuda. The images were taken during the official trip, and the couple’s outfits both feature a nod to the Caribbean nation.
Outfits with a Caribbean touch
Charles’s pocket square is made of the traditional Antiguan and Barbudan Independence Day madras, while, hidden by her sleeve, Camilla is wearing a multi-coloured Antiguan beaded bracelet made by a local artisan. The King’s colourful tie was a gift to the monarch from Barry Humphries’ widow, taken from the late Australian comedian’s collection. Humphries was best known for his outspoken character Dame Edna Everage.
Camilla’s turquoise chiffon dress was by Anna Valentine, with her turquoise and diamond earrings from her private collection. Both the King and Queen are wearing poppies in the pictures taken by Chris Jackson.
Tour highlights and Commonwealth summit
The couple spent six days on an official visit to Antigua and Barbuda to attend the opening of a major Commonwealth summit and celebrate the country and its people. In a speech at the opening ceremony of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (Chogm), the monarch said the transatlantic slave trade “fills my heart with horror and my soul with the most profound personal sorrow”, but did not offer an apology. He also praised the “leading role” of the Royal Navy in helping to enforce the end of slavery once it was abolished.
Earlier in the tour, footage of the King raising his arms and calling for an umbrella went viral after torrential rain fell and drenched his suit at a cricket stadium.
