King Charles and Queen Camilla have arrived in Samoa for a four-day state visit that will see the monarch open a Commonwealth summit.
The King and Queen were pictured stepping off a private jet at Faleolo International Airport around 7.15pm local time (7.15am in the UK).
They were greeted by Samoa’s Prime Minister Afioga Fiame Naomi Mata’afa, and were given a formal welcome featuring a guard of honour by the Samoan Police Force, who stood to attention for the royal guests.
Nearby, Samoa’s Royal Police Band also performed.
Elsewhere, Samoans gathered to watch and wave as the royal motorcade passed by.
Ahead of Charles and Camilla’s arrival, a red carpet was pictured being rolled out and vacuumed as part of meticulous preparations.
Samoa is hosting a Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (Chogm) which has the theme ‘One Resilient Common Future’.
The King is head of the Commonwealth and for the first time will preside over the gathering of presidents and prime ministers. He will formally open the event which will be attended by Sir Keir Starmer.
Charles deputised for Queen Elizabeth II during the last Chogm staged by Rwanda in 2022, and in Samoa will be joined by Foreign Secretary David Lammy.
Locals at the village of Siumu wait to greet King Charles and the royal motorcade as it passes along Samoa’s southern coastline pic.twitter.com/EEWNs2db5i
— Stephen Dziedzic (@stephendziedzic) October 23, 2024
The royal couple flew to Samoa from Australia where they had enjoyed a six-day visit which ended with them visiting the Sydney Opera House on Tuesday and meeting some of the thousands of well-wishers who had gathered.
Ahead of their trip to Samoa, the King and Queen said they "can't wait" to arrive in the country.
A statement posted by the official X account of the royal family said: "As we head towards (Samoa's capital) Apia, we can't wait to visit Samoa for the first time together and to experience the warmth of ancient traditions with your remarkable people. Feiloa'i ma le manuia!"
During their visit to Australia, the royal couple experienced the country’s cultural life from sharing a hug with an Indigenous elder to helping chefs tend the snags – or sausages – grilling at a community barbecue in the Sydney suburbs.
But it was also marked by some uncomfortable moments involving indigenous activists.
During a visit to Australia’s Parliament House in Canberra on Monday, the King was accused of “genocide” against Australia’s First Nations by senator Lidia Thorpe who told him “You are not my King”. She later shared a cartoon on social media that showed Charles having been beheaded.
A day later, the King was confronted by First Nations activists who questioned the supremacy of the British monarchy in Australia.
Charles met Indigenous elders during a visit to the National Centre of Indigenous Excellence (NCIE) in Sydney, where one told him their goal was “sovereignty”, and referenced Ms Thorpe’s comments.
