Royal Couple Follow in Queen Elizabeth's Footsteps During Welcoming Ritual at National University of Samoa
King Charles and Queen Camilla embraced the "island vibe" as they participated in a special welcome ceremony in Samoa, displaying a relaxed and joyful demeanour. The event, hosted at the National University of Samoa by the Samoan Head of State, Le Afioga ia Tuimaleali’ifano Va’aleto’a Sualauvi II, featured the traditional 'ava ceremony, where participants drink 'ava—a beverage made from dried roots—in a ritual symbolising harmony.
The royal couple wore ceremonial garlands and dressed down for the occasion, fully embracing the local customs. King Charles’s participation in the 'ava ceremony, drinking from a coconut shell, evoked memories of his late mother, Queen Elizabeth II, who took part in a similar ritual during her 1977 Silver Jubilee visit to the South Pacific.
Originally set outdoors, the ceremony was moved indoors due to heavy rain, but the change of location did not dampen the celebratory spirit. This visit comes ahead of King Charles’s first time leading the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) as monarch, continuing his mother's legacy of strengthening ties within the Commonwealth.
