King Charles says painful past still hurts as he bids farewell to Samoa – live

From poignant remembrance events to ancient welcome ceremonies, the King and Queen’s tour of Australia and Samoa had it all.

Crowds flocked to the famous Sydney Opera House to see the monarch making his first visit to Australia as King, with his wife Camilla. It saw the largest crowd of the tour, with more than 6,000 people vying for the best spot to get a glimpse of the couple.

In the capital Canberra the mood was very different when the couple paid their respects at the Australian War Memorial during a poignant wreath-laying ceremony. There were moments when the formalities were forgotten, including Charles being hugged by one well-wisher during his visit to the National Centre of Indigenous Excellence in Sydney.

Some encounters were more unusual, from an alpaca wearing a crown and bow tie that sneezed as the King stroked its nose, to the Queen trying to coax a parrot to talk.

Royal tours sometimes have controversial moments and when Charles was welcomed by parliamentarians in Canberra, senator Lidia Thorpe accused him of “genocide” against the First Nations.

In Samoa the King showed off his own take on local fashion during welcoming ceremonies.

Charles swapped his trademark tailored suit for a short-sleeved white jacket and trousers he designed himself as he was honoured with a new title, sipped a symbolic drink and was presented with a pig for feasting on the opening day of his state visit to the Pacific nation.

The itinerary was tailored to give the King, who has been receiving treatment for cancer for much of the year, periods of rest. A rest day was allocated after the couple first arrived in Australia and the King looked engaged, relaxed and in good spirits throughout the overseas visit.

Charles and Queen Camilla ended their four-day state visit to Samoa on Friday as they boarded their plane back to the UK.

Before departing, the King and Queen visiteda village twinned with the UK and later sheltered under umbrellas when they boarded their plane home in torrential rain.

Camilla went ahead of her husband, who chatted to dignitaries for a few minutes before joining his wife at the top of the steps and they both waved goodbye to the Pacific nation.

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.”

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.”

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.