The King poked fun at himself while hosting Commonwealth leaders at the close of his Caribbean tour, joking that it was his job to provide “an umbrella for you all”.
Charles was caught in a tropical downpour earlier this week, with footage showing him gesturing impatiently for an umbrella. The clip quickly circulated around the world.
Speaking at the final dinner of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting on Tuesday, Charles welcomed 84 dignitaries to the Blue Waters hotel. He described the “family of nations” as one of “the world’s more improbable organisations”, bringing together some of the largest countries on Earth alongside some of the smallest.
“It is one of the few organisations able to unite countries famous for snow, countries famous for deserts, and, most of all – countries whose citizens are utterly convinced they enjoy perfect weather all year round.
“Although perhaps part of my role as Head of the Commonwealth is to provide an umbrella for you all…!”
The remark prompted laughter across the dining hall, followed by applause.
The King hosted Prime Minister Andy Burnham and other heads of government from across the Commonwealth. Earlier, they appeared to joke about a fall Charles suffered while playing cricket on Sunday with the Master of the Household at Buckingham Palace.
Burnham’s wife, Marie-France van Heel, attended in a floor-length sparkling gown.
Charles laughed as he delivered his speech on Tuesday, with Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne smiling beside him
The King returned to the umbrella joke during his speech. He is pictured speaking with Prime Minister Andy Burnham at the official dinner
The light-hearted moment came after Charles appeared visibly flustered when he was caught without an umbrella on Sunday
Charles looked surprised while chatting with Marie-France van Heel, Burnham’s wife, at the dinner reception
Charles and Commonwealth Secretary-General Hon Shirley Botchwey attended Tuesday night’s official dinner and reception
Charles wore black tie, miniature medals, the Order of Merit badge around his neck and the Garter star. Queen Camilla chose a white Moroccan evening dress by Anna Valentine, embroidered with a Dagger Log, Antigua’s national flower.
She completed the outfit with gold and diamond jewellery from her personal collection.
Reflecting on the warm welcome he and the Queen received in Antigua and Barbuda, the King said: “We have been enormously touched by the kindness with which we have been received wherever we have gone.
“And I must say that, during my visit here, it has been a great pleasure to meet so many Prime Ministers – almost as many as I’ve had at home!”
The King then turned to more serious matters, highlighting the continuing importance of the Commonwealth.
“Ladies and Gentlemen, we meet at a time when many of the institutions on which the world has long relied are under great strain, and when it is all too tempting for nations to retreat behind ever higher walls,” he said.
“I cannot help feeling that such a world would be poorer, more fragile and, if I may say so, a good deal lonelier and more dangerous.
“Our Commonwealth, I think, offers another path. We are a family of fifty-six nations that span every inhabited continent and embrace the widest range of faiths, and, despite everything, care for one another.
“No treaty compels any of us to be here. We come because we choose to – and, looking around this room tonight, I find that a source of enormous encouragement and pride.”
At table one, Charles was seated between the Prime Minister of Tuvalu and the Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda. Camilla hosted table two, sitting between the Prime Minister of the Bahamas and the Prime Minister of Australia.
Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne and his wife, Maria Browne, sip drinks at the reception
Camilla greeted Commonwealth Secretary-General Shirley Botchwey during the dinner reception
Charles shared a laugh with Commonwealth Secretary-General Hon Shirley Botchwey
Charles and Camilla greeted Burnham and his wife, Marie-France van Heel
King Charles raised a toast at the official dinner and reception during the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting
Charles had also invited Dr Carla Barnett, Secretary-General of Caricom and a prominent figure in the Caribbean reparations campaign, in what was seen as a diplomatic gesture.
Guests were arranged around nine round tables, laid with white tablecloths, cutlery and glassware supplied by the hotel.
Commonwealth heads of government also drank from gold goblets belonging to the Commonwealth Secretariat.
The dinner menu showcased ingredients sourced locally in Antigua and Barbuda.
A salad of avocado, green beans, quail eggs and cherry tomatoes with pesto dressing was followed by Mahi-Mahi cooked en papillote, served with seasonal vegetables.
Dessert was an Antiguan black pineapple Tarte Tatin, followed by hand-painted chocolates.
The wine selection included Camel Valley English sparkling wine, which holds a double royal warrant, along with wines from the Commonwealth’s wine-producing realms of New Zealand, Australia and Canada.
Guests were also served a bespoke cocktail called the “Commonwealth 56”, a twist on the French 75. It was made with Antilles Stillhouse Pink Sorrel Hibiscus Gin, produced in the hills above English Harbour in Antigua, and sugar syrup made with honey from Buckingham Palace.
The drink reflects a palace tradition introduced during the King’s reign for UK state visits, when an in-house mixologist creates a bespoke cocktail inspired by the visiting country’s traditions.
Each table featured a woven bead centrepiece created by a local artist known as Sexy Sue.
The displays also included white ceramic pieces by Antiguan artist Colin “Wanga” Martin, whose designs were inspired by the island’s sugar mills and the leaves of the Antiguan black pineapple.
Napkins were woven from Antigua and Barbuda’s national fabric, while the bread baskets were made by the Industrial Workshop for the Blind in Saint John’s.
