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King Charles shows off dance moves on second day of Caribbean tour - Published The King shook off royal formality and replaced it with some dance moves on the second day of his nine-day visit to the Caribbean. Armed with a pair of maracas in the colours of the flag of the Bahamas, Charles joined a Junkanoo - a cultural event and carnival designed to celebrate island life. Amidst the feathered headdresses and brightly coloured costumes in the afternoon Caribbean heat, the King, dressed in a suit and sunglasses, joined dancers at the front of parade to cheers from the crowd. It was a lighter mood coming after the King's arrival on Tuesday where he delivered a speech acknowledging the pain of the slave trade, describing "the suffering of the past". - King acknowledges 'suffering of the past' as Caribbean tour begins - Published21 hours ago Speaking at an event in the Bahamas celebrating local youth on Tuesday, the King said the country's culture was "born out of darkness", and it was "only right" to acknowledge historic injustices. Charles began the second day of his trip by paying his respects to fallen members of the Royal Bahamas Defence Force (RBDF). The King, wearing a set of medals and sunglasses, spoke with servicemen and women before he laid a wreath at the Flamingo Monument, which commemorates four RBDF Marines killed when Cuban MiG fighter aircraft sunk HMBS Flamingo in May 1980. Later, on a visit to the Bahamas Boxing Academy, the King found young fighters and the head coach wearing an image of himself emblazoned on club t-shirts showing the King complete with a crown, gloves and a boxing belt. "He loved it, he loved it," said Jermaine Gibson, president of a neighbouring boxing club who wore one of the t-shirts. "He said it was really good and we gave him one of his own." The King watched two young fighters sparring in the ring at the academy which trains boys and girls from the age of eight to 18 years old. "I might see you at a Commonwealth Games," the King told a group of children at the boxing academy. Protecting this region from climate change is a theme of the King's trip and was the focus of his visit to the Bonefish Pond National Park. The site was once a rubbish dump but has been redeveloped and now protects 1,235 acres of mangroves. The King walked along a new boardwalk through the wetlands to see the conservation work being done to protect this vulnerable, low lying island from climate change. He met students carrying out field work in the wetland waters asking them about their exams and ambitions to be marine biologists. "We've so been looking forward to this," said Joanne Smith, president of the Bahamas National Trust Council. "We want more Bahamians to get involved in our national parks so they can use it to better themselves… we are so pleased to have the King here, this is really significant for us." Then it was on to the Junkanoo, where the King could be seen dancing alongside attendees dressed in feathered headdresses and bright costumes. The history of the Junkanoo is not clear but it's believed it emerged out of the slave trade when enslaved men and women were given time off to mark Christmas. A small protest near the parade, which had activists holding placards with the words "Pay us what you owe us", was moved on by the police. The small group of protesters were from the Bahamas National Reparations Committee. The King acknowledged the "great suffering of the past" when he first arrived in the Bahamas, as he faced calls for slavery reparations. Noelle Nicholls, chair of the reparations committee, said :"We are demanding an apology for those crimes, and reparations for the harm that was done." Nicholls said the protesters' presence "amidst the pomp and pageantry of the celebrations... are for us also a sombre occasion, because this is the King returning in a way that has still not atoned for the sins of the past." The King has confirmed that Commonwealth leaders will discuss the legacy of slavery at a major summit in Antigua next week. The King ended his day with a garden reception at Government House in Nassau where he met Bahamians who have made significant contributions to public life. In a speech, Dame Cynthia A Pratt, the governor general of the Bahamas who is the King's representative on the island, described her pride at Charles visiting the country for the first time since 1973. "We trust that your time in our capital will reflect the legendary hospitality of our people," said Dame Cynthia. "We pray that this royal visit further strengthens the enduring bonds of friendship between the Crown and the Bahamian people." On Thursday, the Caribbean tour leaves the Bahamas as the King continues his visit in Guyana. The trip has been planned alongside the governments of the Bahamas, Guyana and Antigua and Barbuda with an emphasis on honouring the past but also looking forward to the ambition and possibility for future generations. The King's engagements in Guyana will focus on the environment and biodiversity. He will then visit Antigua and Barbuda, where he will be joined by Queen Camilla, for the CHOGM and his keynote speech as leader of the Commonwealth. The biennial summit will bring together leaders of 56 Commonwealth countries to address shared challenges and advance cooperation.
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