Welcome to Samoa Your Majesties

By Staff Reporters/Photos by Lancelot Polu

Apia, Samoa – 23 October 2024 – Their Majesties King Charles 111 and Queen Camilla touched down on Samoan soil at 7.00 this evening for the start of their 3 day state visit.

The King will also perform his very first official duty as Head of the Commonwealth when he opens the biennial meeting of the heads of the 56 member governments of the Commonwealth on Friday morning.

Samoa’s Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mataafa was at the foot of the steps of the Royal Australian Airforce aircraft to greet and welcome their majesties.

The King is greeted by Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mataafa.

After the playing of God Save the King by the police band, King Charles then inspected the police guard of honour, then joined by the Queen and were introduced to the Cabinet Ministers and their spouses and other officials.

Their majesties will be honoured in a traditional Royal Ava Ceremony at the National University of Samoa grounds tomorrow morning. He is scheduled to visits places that reflect his interests in the environment that include a major mangrove conservation area and tree planting at a Kings Garden. He will also visit the Business Forum where there has been a lot of discussion on alternative and renewable sources of energy.

The King inspects the Police Guard of Honour.

He will also meet the chiefs of Siumu village on the southern western side of Upolu Island where the beach resort he is staying is located.

The Queen has special interests and will visit the Campus of Hope for child victims of domestic abuse and is scheduled to visit and meet the women producing tapa cloth from the bark of the mulberry tree at Sala’ilua village on Savaii Island.

Climate Change and environmental issues such action on protecting the Oceans, are high on the CHOGM Samoa agenda around the theme: “One Resilient Common Future: Transforming our Common Wealth.”