In a poignant moment towards the end of King Charles’ Royal tour of Australia and Samoa, which was reduced in scope following advice from physicians, the monarch shared a rare insight into how his ongoing cancer treatment has hindered one of his “lifelong aspirations.”
At an official dinner in Samoa, King Charles shared his aspiration to visit all 56 Commonwealth countries, but light-heartedly noted that Royal physicians were hindering his plans. While hosting a dinner for delegates from the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (Chogm) in Samoa, he remarked that his mission was also becoming increasingly challenging due to the expanding family of nations.
The King and Queen Camilla, during their only evening engagement on their nine-day tour of Australia and Samoa, embraced the island lifestyle by dressing casually for the event at Robert Louis Stevenson’s former residence on the Pacific island. On their last night in the country, Charles expressed his deep affection for the Commonwealth, stating: “The Commonwealth can surely be a source of hope.”
He further commented that despite the looming “dark clouds gathered”, global challenges necessitate global solutions, and peace can be achieved through “dialogue and discussion”.
Amid rising demands for reparations for Britain’s involvement in the slave trade, the King seemed to address the controversial topic earlier in the day by stating “none of us can change the past,” reports the Mirror.
At the Chogm opening ceremony, Charles encouraged world leaders to “commit with all our hearts to learning its lessons” and urged every nation to comprehend each other’s history “to guide us to make the right choices in the future”.
In an emotive and sincere speech, Prince Charles opened up about his realisations upon engaging with individuals from across the spectrum of 56 nations in the Commonwealth. During the significant address, he remarked: “As we look around the world and consider its many deeply concerning challenges, let us choose within our Commonwealth family the language of community and respect, and reject the language of division.”
“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.”
Charles, who has been receiving weekly cancer treatments after a diagnosis in February, also reaffirmed his commitment to his Royal duties, stating: “For my part, I can assure you today that for however many years God grants me, I will join you and the people of the Commonwealth on every step of this journey. Let us learn from the lessons of the past. Let us be proud of who we are today. And together, let us forge a future of harmony with nature, and between ourselves, that our children and our grandchildren deserve.”
During the evening dinner, the King reminisced about his first visit to Samoa in the 1970s aboard HMS Jupiter, jokingly reflecting on “how unbelievably old I am”.
He also expressed his pleasure at returning to Samoa to enhance his understanding of the nation and was visibly moved by the local performers’ singing at the Commonwealth summit’s opening ceremony, which he said “raised my spirits to the roof and made me feel unbelievably happy”.
In a more relaxed pre-dinner address, Guyana’s President Dr Irfaan Ali commended the King for his “willingness to engage in difficult conversations that will enable us to learn from a sometimes difficult past while we carve a future as a commonwealth of equal partners.”
On their last full day on the Pacific Island, before heading home tomorrow, Charles warmly received Prime Minister Keir Starmer and eight other new heads of government. These leaders, including the prime ministers of New Zealand, Lesotho, and Fiji, assumed office after the previous Chogm in Rwanda in 2022.
At the picturesque Taumeasina Island Resort, under a beach hut by the water, the King greeted each new leader, welcoming them into the Commonwealth fold.
Basking in the glow of the idyllic turquoise sea, King Charles, donning a linen beige suit and tie, expressed his gratitude to each of the attendees individually, following introductions by Tony Johnstone-Burt, the Master of the Household. Sir Keir Starmer, the British prime minister, was the final dignitary to extend his compliments, lauding the King’s address at the Chogm opening.
In an affable exchange, Sir Keir branded it a “great speech”, prompting the King to jest, “Well, it was very long”. In return, Sir Keir reassured him, insisting “it was great”, leading to a humble expression of thanks from Charles who remarked on the PM’s attention to the address.
As the summit continues into the next day, global leaders will cast their votes for the new Commonwealth secretary-general, with the chosen successor set to follow Baroness Scotland. All three challengers vying for this influential post have unified in their call for reparations for nations impacted by the legacy of slavery and colonial rule.
