King Charles III sipped from a polished half-coconut filled with a narcotic kava brew today in a traditional ceremony before a line of bare-chested Samoans.
Wearing a white safari-style suit, the 75-year-old monarch sat with Queen Camila at the head of a carved timber longhouse where he was presented with the drink.
The peppery, slightly intoxicating root drink is a key part of Pacific culture and is known locally as ‘ava’. The kava roots were paraded around the marquee, prepared by the chief’s daughter and filtered through a sieve made of dried bark.
A Samoan man then screamed as he decanted the drink, which was finally presented to the King, who said: ‘May God Bless this ava’ before lifting it to his lips.
Camilla sat beside him, fanning herself as the couple continue their 11-day tour of Australia and Samoa on the King’s first major foreign trip since his cancer diagnosis.
King Charles III drinks a narcotic kava brew today as Queen Camilla looks on in Apia, Samoa
The King attends an official ava ceremonial welcome at the National University of Samoa today
The 75-year-old monarch sits with Queen Camila at the head of a carved timber longhouse
The peppery, slightly intoxicating root drink is a key part of Pacific culture and is known as ‘ava’
King Charles III departs following the official royal ava ceremonial welcome in Samoa today
The King had swapped his trademark tailored suit for more relaxed clothing as he was also honoured with a new title of ‘high chief’ – ‘Tui Taumeasina’.
The ceremony was held at the National University of Samoa, in a falesamoa, a large open-air covered hall made from huge timbers and guarded by a ring of malosi ole nuu, bare-chested orators armed with sticks of their office and wearing sarongs and garlands.
Following custom Charles poured a few drops of the kava away before drinking deeply from a cup, made from a coconut shell, and watched by village elders and dignitaries including Samoa’s prime minister Afioga Fiame Naomi Mata’afa and the Foreign Secretary David Lammy.
Charles wore a Royal Navy bush jacket-style suit made by Anderson & Shepperd, which featured fabric trim by the Samoan School of Arts.
The jacket was similar to an elei, a smart casual short-sleeved shirt worn by Samoan men, and Charles’ look was even reflected in the dress of his protection officers and some of his aides who wore colourful shirts.
Queen Camilla shakes hands with villagers following the official welcome in Apia today
King Charles III and Queen Camilla watch on during the ava ceremony in Apia, Samoa, today
King Charles III smiles during the ava welcome at the National University of Samoa today
King Charles III is presented with the drink during the official welcome today in Apia, Samoa
At the end of the ceremony, a garland of dried fruit from the pandanus tree was placed around the King’s neck while the Queen had a floral garland, and they were presented with an array of gifts from finely woven mats to the pig carcass.
Later in Moata’a village its chief Tofaeono Lupati Fuatai urged the monarch to ‘take a small part of Samoa away’ with him after he was made Tui Taumeasina or King of Taumeasina.
Villagers gathered for the ceremony, similar to the earlier event, and later the chief spoke of his admiration for the King and his efforts to highlight climate change throughout his life.
He said about the honour bestowed on Charles: ‘We hope that the King takes a small part of Samoa away with him.
The King and Queen attend the ceremonial welcome at the National University of Samoa today
The King and Queen are welcomed at the National University of Samoa in Apia today
The King shakes hands with villagers following the official welcome today in Apia, Samoa
Britain’s King Charles III drinks kava as Queen Camilla looks on during the ceremony today
‘Once he has the title of Tui-Taumeasina we also become part of him and he will be connected to our people and our lands forever.’
The Polynesian country of Samoa is highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change including tropical cyclones and storm surges, flooding, and more severe and longer-lasting droughts like other Small Island Developing States.
Moata’a village was chosen to welcome the royals after the area was badly affected by flooding in 2018 and in response the community’s council developed a plan for future natural disasters and has established a mangrove conservation area which the King visited.
The chief said: ‘The King is the perfect advocate for us as a nation. Climate change is real, it is now and we must urge the world to acknowledge how perilous it is for nations such as ours.’
