Queen Camilla in stitches as torrential rain soaks official Samoan leaving ceremony | Royal | News
Queen Camilla was left in stitches on Saturday morning as the King and Queen attended a farewell ceremony in Samoa to mark the end of their royal tour.
During the ceremony in Siumu Village, King Charles gave a speech to thank Samoa for its hospitality, with the visit to the island being the first made by the couple.
In his impromptu speech, the King said: “We’ve been so impressed by the beautiful way in which all the villages have decorated the roadsides, it is something very special about Samoa.”
The 75-year-old monarch also thanked residents for their “wonderful generosity”, which included bringing gifts of food and “other wonderful things”, and said the royal couple would take away “special memories of our time here”.
He said: “I shall always remain devoted to this part of the world and hope that I survive long enough to come back and see you.”
Their Majesties arrived at the village in the middle of a downpour, which drenched villagers and elders who had gathered for the special ceremony.
The village’s high chief also honoured the king with the chiefly title of To’aiga-O-Tumua, and he and Camilla were presented with sacred kava in coconut shells with straws.
The King said: “May God bless this kava.”
The chief then told His Majesty: “Your papa, Prince Philip, was here, so thank you for making the time. Your royal visit has lifted our house.”
While the weather was less than ideal for the many gathered for the occasion, the downpour saw Camilla erupt in a fit of giggles, which she tried to hide behind her own personalised fan.
In photos taken from the ceremony, the Queen was spotted wiping away tears of laughter from her eyes.
The rain continued as the King and Queen boarded their plane and bid farewell to Samoa, marking the official end of the royal tour and the beginning of a long journey back to the UK.