The King was officially welcomed to Bermuda with a ceremony full of pomp and pageantry.
Charles stood in the heart of the British overseas territory’s former capital St George’s for the event watched by hundreds of school children and islanders.
A 21-gun salute heralded the King’s arrival in the aptly named King’s Square, where a guard of honour was waiting and he was received by the Commanding Officer of the Royal Bermuda Regiment, Lieutenant Colonel Duncan Simons.
Charles arrived in Bermuda on Thursday evening after a four-day state visit to America where he helped put the UK-US special relationship on a firmer footing.
The monarchy’s soft power diplomacy is seen as its strongest weapon in support of the UK’s overseas interests and it appears his host President Donald Trump was won over.
A parting gift came from the US leader who lifted tariffs on Scottish whisky after an intervention by the Queen and King.
Some of the islanders had come prepared for the royal visit, with one little boy, Theo Godfrey, aged four, dressed like a guardsman in a red tunic and imitation bearskin hat, and many of the children lining the square waved Union flags.
His mother purchased the outfit from the official Buckingham Palace shop two years ago and joked “he’s worn it ever since!”
Charles stood on a dais as the royal salute was given by the troops and remained motionless as the national anthem was played by a regimental band.
Parade Commander, Major Kenji Bean invited the King to inspect the guard of honour and he walked with Charles as he strode past the troops.
After the official welcome the King went to meet the crowds shaking hands with well-wishers as the military band played Bob Marley and the Wailers song Jamming.
Later, the King watched the release of an Atlantic seabird after being ringed and joked, “it’s bound to land on my head”.
Charles travelled to Trunk island, one of the many rocky outcrops around Bermuda, to chat to children being taught about conservation and wildlife through practical education, known as living classrooms led by the Bermuda Zoological Society (BZS).
Charles looked on as the feisty longtail pecked at its handler as Patrick Talbot, curator of the Bermuda Aquarium and Zoo, fitted the ring.
When Mr Talbot added “you know what they say…” Charles stopped him from completing the old adage about bird droppings bringing good luck if they land on you, saying “I know, I know”.
The island is being transformed back to native habitat after foreign plant and tree species took over much of Bermuda and the new environment has become the perfect place to relocate threatened animals from other parts of Bermuda.
Charles planted a cedar tree, a native species that has been mostly lost from the island and which provided hurricane protection and other benefits.
He asked a member of the BZS “are you getting the message through” after treading the earth around the sapling and was told “conservation and education go hand in hand and we need to get the message to the next generation”.
During the visit, Charles was joined by a group of children as they watched three land hermit crabs being released and scuttling into the undergrowth after being moved from a development site that threatened them.
