Keir Starmer has revealed what he really thinks about King Charles’s Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM)’s speech on Friday.
The UK Prime Minister was the last to join the party under a beach hut by the water’s edge of the Taumeaisna Island Resort in Samoa, and praised Charles for his remarks delivered at the event’s opening ceremony.
In a warm exchange, the Prime Minister told the monarch: “Your Majesty, great speech.’
Joking, the King said: “Well, it was very long.”
But the PM insisted, “No no no, it was great”, to which Charles responded: “Well thank you for taking a look at it.”
In his first speech as monarch at the CHOGM, Charles told those gathered that while “the most painful aspects of our past continue to resonate… none of us can change the past”.
The 75-year-old also paid tribute to his late mother, Queen Elizabeth II, who passed away aged 96 in 2022.
The late Queen is known for having dedicated much of her life to the Commonwealth and its prosperity, as well as continuing to express the urgent need for action on climate change.
Addressing Commonwealth leaders, foreign ministers and dignitaries inside the Tuanaimato Sports Complex, the King said: “The Commonwealth mattered a great deal to my dear mother, The late Queen.
“Her commitment to you all, as that of my grandfather, King George VI, before her, is one which has helped to shape my own life for as long as I can remember.”
The King and Queen Camilla flew into Samoa on Wednesday night, with the couple met by torrential rain on their first day of engagements.
Whilst some may have been disappointed by the downpours, the hosts were said to be delighted for one major reason.
This is because the downpours are considered a sign of the King bringing blessings to the nation for his visit, as heavy rain at this time of year is associated with a bountiful harvest of palolo – a rare type of coral reef worm.
