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King Charles III acknowledged the “most painful aspects” of the Commonwealth’s past as he bid goodbye to Samoa after indirectly acknowledging growing calls for slavery reprations in Samoa.
Charles and Queen Camilla ended their four-day state visit to Samoa by visiting a village twinned with the UK after attending a major Commonwealth summit was hosted by the Pacific nation.
In his landmark speech at the opening of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (Chogm) on Friday, the monarch acknowledged the need to “acknowledge where we have come from”.
He told world leaders at the summit: “None of us can change the past. But we can commit, with all our hearts to learning its lessons and to finding creative ways to right inequalities that endure.”
But Charles stopped short of mentioning financial reparations that some leaders at the event urged for and instead exhorted them to find the “right language” and an understanding of history “to guide us towards making the right choices in future where inequality exists”.
Key Points
- King acknowledges enduring pain of Commonwealth’s past
- Charles and Camilla welcomed to Samoa with traditional tea ceremony
- Commonwealth nations to discuss slavery reparations, climate change
- King Charles lands in Samoa to ceremonial welcome
Charles and Camilla visit Samoan village on final day of royal tour
Charles and Queen Camilla ended their four-day state visit to Samoa by visiting a village twinned with the UK.
Villages around the Samoan capital Apia are twinned with each of the 56 member states of the Commonwealth, flying the flags of the countries they have adopted, with street furniture painted in the national colours.
In his impromptu speech Charles said: “We’ve been so impressed by the beautiful way in which all the villages have decorated the roadsides, it is something very special about Samoa.”
He thanked residents for their “wonderful generosity” bringing gifts of food and “other wonderful things”, and said the royal couple would take away “special memories of our time here”.
When the couple arrived, a downpour began, drenching villagers and elders gathered for a ceremony in which a drink made from powdered kava root is drunk, signifying unity.
Charles and Camilla were presented with pink garland necklaces before taking a seat on beige leather throne-style chairs.
The King was honoured with the chiefly title of To’aiga-O-Tumua by the village’s high chief, as he and Camilla were presented with sacred kava in coconut shells with straws.
“May God bless this kava,” said Charles as he lifted the cup and drank.
The chief told Charles: “Your papa, Prince Philip, was here, so thank you for making the time. Your royal visit has lifted our house.”
King says he is ‘always devoted to this part of the world’ during Samoa farewell
The King has said he will “always remain devoted to this part of the world” as he said farewell to Samoa.
Charles and Queen Camilla ended their four-day state visit to Samoa by visiting a village twinned with the UK, as a major Commonwealth summit was hosted by the Pacific nation.
After his landmark speech at the opening of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (Chogm) on Friday, the King and his wife took part in a cultural welcome as guests of Siumu village the following day.
He told his guests: “I shall always remain devoted to this part of the world and hope that I survive long enough to come back again and see you all.”
Watch: King Charles and Queen Camilla depart Samoa after first visit as monarchs
Watch as King Charles III and Queen Camilla departed Samoa on Friday after a four-day visit.
The royal couple visited the Polynesian nation, which is hosting a major gathering of Commonwealth leaders, after their tour of Australia – the first by Charles after his coronation.
King Charles formally opened the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, which took place for the first time with him as its head.
Watch live: King Charles and Queen Camilla depart Samoa after first visit as monarchs
Watch live as King Charles III and Queen Camilla depart Samoa on Friday, 25 October, after a four-day visit.
Athena Stavrou26 October 2024 09:25 1729918860Sarah Ferguson becomes first British royal on TikTok with poignant cancer video
Sarah Ferguson has become the first member of the British royal family to join TikTok.
The Duchess of York, 65, made her debut on the platform with a poignant video reflecting on her breast cancer diagnosis.
Ferguson how she felt “total abject fear” when she received the medical news and recalled not being able to speak as she drove between hospitals.
“I just shut down, I went back into [a] little girl. It was easier not to ask for support and just to deal with it because that’s what I’m used to, that’s what I was taught,” she admitted.
Commonwealth slavery reparations debate: What could the UK be asked to pay?
Keir Starmer has faced renewed calls for Britain to pay slavery reparations which could far exceed £200bn as the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (Chgom) in Samoa gets underway.
A group of 15 Caribbean governments, as part of the Caribbean Community or ‘Caricom’ organisation, have all agreed to table reparations on the Chgom agenda when the group meets.
Defying the UK, with Sir Keir saying he does not want to discuss the matter, a draft communique for the summit places it firmly on the agenda, reading: “Heads, noting calls for discussions on reparatory justice with regard to the transatlantic trade in enslaved Africans and chattel enslavement… agreed that the time has come for a meaningful, truthful and respectful conversation towards forging a common future based on equity.”
All three candidates for the position of Commonwealth Secretary-General role have supported reparations for transatlantic slavery and colonialism.
Nadine White reports:
Commonwealth slavery reparations debate: What do experts say the UK should pay?
Reparations is expected to be a key talking point in Samoa
Athena Stavrou26 October 2024 04:00 1729904400What is the Earthshot prize?
The Earthshot Prize gives five finalists £1 million each to help grow their environmental projects.
A winner is selected from each category or environmental challenge: Protect and Restore Nature, Clean Our Air, Revive Our Oceans, Build A Waste-Free World, and Fix Our Climate.
Both finalists and winners receive dedicated mentorship, resources and support during the year-long Earthshot Prize Fellowship Programme.
In 2021, Costa Rica won the Protect and Restore Nature award.
Since then, the country’s Cocos Island National Park and its surrounding marine protected area expanded to 26 times its size, and the Bicentennial Marine Area covers over 106,000 square kilometres.
Star-studded line-up set for fourth annual celebration of Earthshot Awards
The fourth annual celebration of the Prince of Wales’s Earthshot prize will be held in Cape Town, South Africa, next month.
This year, Earthshot Week will be hosted by actor and humanitarian Nomzamo Mbatha from November 4 to November 7.
She will be joined by fellow Earthshot Global Ambassador, Australian photographer Robert Irwin, the son of late wildlife conservationist, Steve Irwin.
The award ceremony, taking place on November 6, will be hosted by Grammy, Emmy and Tony award winner Billy Porter and award-winning television presenter Bonang Matheba.
Mr Porter said: “It’s an honour to co-host this year’s Earthshot Prize Awards and help to celebrate this year’s inspiring innovators working to create a better future for everyone. I’m so inspired by the Earthshot community, and I can’t wait to be part of an evening that celebrates creativity, human ingenuity, and artistry in all its different forms.”
Stars set to perform include the Ndlovu Youth Choir, Grammy award winner, Lebo M, Grammy nominated artist and producer, Davido, artist Diamond Platnumz, and DJ and producer Uncle Waffles.
The ceremony and green carpet hosted by media personality Ebuka, Obi-Uchendu, and rapper and TV presenter Moozlie will be available to watch live globally on The Earthshot Prize’s YouTube channel.
On top of that, supermodel and television host Heidi Klum, actor and activist Nina Dobrev, supermodel and beauty entrepreneur Winnie Harlow and artist and actor Tobe Nwigwe will join the broadcast to announce the winners.
Athena Stavrou26 October 2024 00:02 1729890036King Charles says the Commonwealth mattered ‘a great deal’ to his mother
King Charles said the Commonwealth mattered “a great deal” his late mother Queen Elizabeth II, who was seen as a unifying figure among the body.
Charles attended his first Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, or Chogm as Britain’s head of state yesterday, where he indirectly acknowledged calls from some of Britain’s former colonies for a reckoning over its role in the trans-Atlantic slave trade.
Britain’s handling of its involvement in the trans-Atlantic slave trade is seen by many observers as a litmus test for the Commonwealth’s adaptation to a modern-day world, as other European nations and some British institutions have started to own up to their role in the trade.
The UK has never formally apologized for its role in the trade, in which millions of African citizens were kidnapped and transported to plantations in the Caribbean and Americas over several centuries, enriching many individuals and companies.
Studies estimate Britain would owe between hundreds of millions and trillions of dollars in compensation to the descendants of slaves.
None of us can change the past but we can commit with all our hearts to learning its lessons and to finding creative ways to write the inequalities that endure,” said Charles.
Athena Stavrou25 October 2024 22:00 1729882836Tower of London to be lit up with poignant light show over Remembrance period
The Tower of London is to be illuminated with a poignant light show in remembrance of those who lost their lives in the First and Second World Wars.
Visitors to the immersive after-dark experience will be invited inside the walls of the famous fortress next month to see the historic White Tower transformed with moving images reflecting on the conflicts.
The Luxmuralis sound and light installation, Poppy Fields at the Tower of London, will run for nine nights, from November 8-16, including Remembrance Day.
Falling poppy petals, silhouettes of soldiers and the World War One military medal “For Bravery in the Field” will be among the artwork lighting up the Tower, accompanied by music and poetry recordings.
Ticketholders will also be granted special access to see the Crown Jewels without the usual crowds, and learn about their removal from the Tower during both world wars.
Husband and wife team behind Princess Diana’s wedding dress settle High Court claim
The fashion designers behind Diana, Princess of Wales’s wedding dress have settled a High Court claim over the sale of the drawings for the famous royal gown.
David Emanuel had filed a lawsuit against his ex-wife Elizabeth Emanuel, claiming that she had infringed his copyright by reproducing drawings of the designs on which they had collaborated. The drawings, including those for Diana’s wedding dress, were put up for auction without his consent, he said.
The one-time husband and wife team announced on Friday that they had settled the case “amicably.” Terms of the settlement weren’t released.
Read the full story here:
Husband and wife team behind Princess Diana’s wedding dress settle High Court claim
David Emanuel brought legal action against his ex-wife and business partner Elizabeth Emanuel
Athena Stavrou25 October 2024 18:30 Newer1 / 4OlderDisclaimer: The copyright of this article belongs to the original author. Reposting this article is solely for the purpose of information dissemination and does not constitute any investment advice. If there is any infringement, please contact us immediately. We will make corrections or deletions as necessary. Thank you.
