The King and Queen of England just wrapped up their four-day state trip to Samoa. On the last day, a touching farewell ceremony happened, honoring King Charles III and a visibly emotional Queen Camilla, highlighting the vibrant Samoan culture.
As rain poured down, the couple arrived at the event on a wet red carpet while holding umbrellas. They walked to a stage decorated with colorful woven mats and fresh flower garlands.
The King received an honorary title of To’aiga-o-Tumua from Siumu village. He and the Queen sat on beautiful golden thrones as village elders in traditional clothing welcomed them with respectful words.
During the farewell, they took part in an “ava ceremony,” which is an old ritual that involves making a drink from the ava plant. In a special moment, this drink was given to King Charles III in a polished coconut shell; he graciously accepted it and took a sip.
Even though it was raining, villagers displayed their culture through dances and performances for the royals. A highlight was an exciting war dance where dancers skillfully twirled flaming sticks that captivated both royals.
King Charles III shared his strong connection to Samoa during his speech expressing gratitude for their warm welcome: “I will always be devoted to this part of the world and hope to return and see you all again.”
He thanked locals who went out of their way by decorating roads & leaving gifts at their hotel every day.
In another touching moment, a Samoan chief spoke directly to him about his family’s history in Samoa: “Your Papa Prince Philip was here too as were your brothers. Thank you for visiting us; your royal visit has uplifted our community.”
Reports say there was also gift exchanging which included an embroidered mat & fly whisks.
When it was time for them to leave, they traveled in motorcade towards Faleolo VIP Terminal where they briefly met with Samoa’s Deputy Prime Minister & other officials before waving goodbye from steps of Royal Australian Air Force jet!
While this farewell ceremony had many lively traditions & heartfelt moments, Queen Camilla’s tears caught netizens’ attention. At one point she used her hands to wipe her eyes while covering her face with an ornate fan! Video footage shared on TikTok showed her emotional response when Samoan leaders honored King Charles III mentioning his fight against cancer.
Later she cried tears of joy laughing about how rain caused some technical issues during events! Her tearful look led many online users sharing sympathy saying things like “so sad for her 😢.”
Among other highlights besides farewell ceremony was royal dinner held for Commonwealth Heads at Robert Louis Stevenson Museum featuring contributions from both Samoan & British teams working together creating memorable evening dedicated author of ”Treasure Island.”
Earlier during visit ,King Charles III showed commitment towards environmental conservation by planting tree in new garden made in his honor specifically chosen help endangered Samoan swallowtail butterfly . Reportedly he asked local staff monitor tree growth requesting updates photos witness its flourish under tropical climate!
