LONDON (AP) – King Charles III should be prepared to dance when he visits Samoa this week.
Freddie Tuilagi made sure of that when he visited St James’ Palace recently wearing nothing but a bark cloth wrap and a necklace historically worn by orator chiefs.
Charles, in a blue suit and carefully knotted tie, grinned while gamely trying to follow along as Samoa’s honorary consul to the United Kingdom (UK) moved through the steps of a traditional dance.
“He loves it. He said he wants to learn the dance,” Tuilagi said afterward, showing off his moves once again.
Tuilagi, who moved to Britain to play professional rugby, said the 75-year-old king can expect more of the same in the South Pacific island nation.
Villagers throughout the country of 220,000 people have taken steps to decorate and show how much they appreciate Charles’ visit, he said.
Charles, the symbolic head of the Commonwealth, is travelling to Samoa for a meeting of top government officials from each of the 56 independent nations that make up the organisation.
At the top of the agenda is the fight against climate change, an issue Charles has championed for decades.
The king can count on Samoans to be receptive. Its islands are at the forefront of the climate emergency, facing increasing threats from rising sea levels, warming ocean temperatures and more intense storms.
The royal visit is attracting global media attention. Many Samoans hope that images of the king and Queen Camilla strolling on the islands’ breathtaking beaches will help attract European tourists and boost the economy.
“It’s an opportunity to showcase our culture, showcase our heritage and how … proud (of) that we are as a country,’’ Tuilagi told The Associated Press.
“To host the king and the leaders of the Pacific, you know, the Commonwealth coming to Samoa is something special for us.’’
