King Charles III and Queen Camilla continued their royal tour with a trip to Samoa.
The couple arrived in the island country on Thursday, October 24, and were welcomed at the National University of Samoa. Both Charles, 75, and Camilla, 77, traded in their typical royal attire for something more casual after their arrival. The king opted for a white Royal Navy bush jacket which featured a blue and white trim designed by the Samoan School of Arts. Camilla matched her husband with an all-white look.
Charles was given a new honor while visiting the nation, being dubbed the High Chief of Samoa. During the ceremony for monarchs, Charles drank a traditional ‘ava beverage, which is created by pounding the ‘ava root of into a fine powder and mixing it with water. He poured some on the ground before taking a sip of the drink out of a halved coconut shell. Buckingham Palace shared in a press release that the drink is a “symbol of community and connection.”
Charles and Camilla also wore large ceremonial garlands decorated with various leaves while posing for photos under umbrellas. The king’s lei was made from dried fruit from the pandanus tree while the Camilla’s was mainly floral.
Additional engagements on Thursday included a trip to the Moata’a Village and O Le Pupu-Pue National Park, among others.
The monarchs kicked off their trip to Australia and Samoa earlier this month. During the first leg of their journey, Charles met with cancer researchers at the Melanoma Institute Australia to learn more about their work with treatment for melanoma.
It was later reported that Charles’ cancer was not discussed during the trip.
In February, the palace announced that the king had been diagnosed with an undisclosed type of cancer after undergoing a routine prostate procedure. He briefly took a step back from public-facing royal duties to undergo treatment but has since resumed work.
Ahead of his royal tour to Australia and Samoa, royal expert Rebecca English reported that Charles put his treatment on “pause” for the trip and that doctors were “happy” to briefly agree. His treatment will get back on track following the overseas trip.
Charles’ schedule in Australia and Samoa was created to be “mindful” of his health, per the Daily Mail. He and Camilla were set to have “10 engagements a day between them,” the outlet added. The royal couple also opted to forgo a visit to New Zealand during their tour.
