King Charles was drenched during Antigua’s independence celebrations as Queen Camilla receives an umbrella, leaving the monarch visibly frustrated.
King Charles was left drenched in a torrential downpour during a ceremony in Antigua, appearing visibly frustrated as he waited for an umbrella.
The King was soaked during Antigua and Barbuda’s 45th Independence Day celebrations at Sir Vivian Richards Stadium on Sunday, while Queen Camilla received an umbrella and headed towards shelter.
Charles reportedly waited for more than a minute before an umbrella was brought to him, as heavy rain soaked his suit.
The monarch gestured towards aides for assistance before eventually receiving an umbrella and continuing with the ceremony.
The incident occurred as the royal couple attended celebrations marking the Caribbean nation’s independence.
Charles later joked to Prime Minister Gaston Browne that he might “grow watercress” on his suit.
The couple reportedly laughed about the incident after the rain eased.
The King’s Caribbean tour began last Tuesday in the Bahamas, where he acknowledged the “great suffering of the past” in a speech at a youth rally.
Ahead of the King’s visit to Guyana, President Mohamed Irfaan Ali said Charles had recognised slavery as the “darkest days in human history”, but that an apology would be “the next step”.
Before leaving Guyana on Friday, the King visited Independence Park in the capital, Georgetown, where 33 people involved in the Demerara Rebellion of 1823 were hanged.
Queen Camilla arrived in Antigua a few days earlier and was joined by Charles late on Friday night. The couple spent Saturday resting together.
With the wording of the King’s speech now expected to come under heavy scrutiny, a senior palace aide said:
“His Majesty is well practised on the diplomatic tightrope, as you’ve seen again several times this year. He is up for challenging visits with complex issues and relationships in play.
“He sees it as his role to ‘bat for Britain’, the realms and wider Commonwealth, promoting, protecting and enhancing relationships at the highest level.”
