King Charles Soaked During Antigua Parade as Camilla Takes Shelter
The monarch stayed on the cricket pitch during a sudden storm, while his wife was escorted under a canopy.
By Natalie Castro ·
A sudden torrential downpour interrupted the royal visit to Antigua and Barbuda, creating a distinct split in how King Charles and Queen Camilla handled the weather. The storm struck while the couple stood on a cricket pitch with local leaders and military chiefs to mark the nation's 45th anniversary of independence.
Queen Camilla, 79, was quickly provided with an umbrella and escorted away from the wet ground. She moved to a royal canopy near guests of honor, where she continued to observe the celebrations. King Charles, 77, remained on the pitch as the wind and rain intensified. Witnesses described him looking around in perplexity and gesticulating for cover. He reportedly asked his team where the umbrella was.
The monarch wore a beige suit and a colorful tie during the event. Once the downpour stopped, Charles proceeded with the parade. He returned to a small stage to a cheering crowd and joked that he had started growing watercress on his trousers.
The visit is part of a wider Caribbean tour that began in the Bahamas on Tuesday. The king joined a street parade there before traveling to Guyana and then Antigua and Barbuda. In the Bahamas, he stated it is only right to acknowledge historic wrongs.
Tomorrow, Charles is expected to address Commonwealth leaders. The speech will likely touch on the slave trade, which shaped the region and Britain. This topic follows renewed calls from Caribbean leaders for a formal British apology for the trans-Atlantic slave trade. They argue the trade wrecked millions of lives while enriching the United Kingdom.
Source: Metro
