#Royal Visits to Samoa

[theroyalsandi]

British Royal Family - Queen Camilla's fashions during the nine-day State Visit to Australia and Samoa | October 18-26, 2024

[andiatas]

It's disappointing to see that the media, even here in Sweden, are focusing on the few protesters in Australia against Charles rather than focusing on everything that seems to have gone well during Charles & Camilla's tour.

I get that they have to report about it but from the coverage (at least what I've personally seen) I feel like it's a repeat of William & Catherine's Caribbean tour, that the media coverage paints this false picture of a disaster tour & that they weren't wanted there & the entire country hates them etc. etc.

Had that truly been the case then of course international media should cover it that way but yeah, this feels like British media trying to create more drama than there actually was & then international media jumping on the bandwagon.

[thepastisalreadywritten]

[charlotte-of-wales]

As our visits to Australia and Samoa come to a close, my wife and I would like to thank both nations for the warmest of welcomes and for the countless fond memories we will carry in our hearts for many years to come.

Even when we are far apart in distance, the many close connections that unite us across the globe and through our Commonwealth family have been renewed, and will remain as profound as they are enduring.

- Charles R. & Camilla R

via The Royal Family

[thewomenofwindsor]

CONFIRMED: The King and Queen’s royal visit to Australia 🇦🇺(his first realm visit as monarch), their state visit to the Independent State of Samoa 🇼🇸 and attendance at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Samoa will take place between 18th and 26th 0ctober.

[celticcrossanon]

Australian Tour

Tuesday the 22nd of October

The King and Queen were in Sydney today.

Under a cut again due to length

The King went to the National Centre for Indigenous Excellence in Redfern (a suburb known for its poor indigenous inhabitants), where the event began with a traditional Welcome to Country and Smoking ceremony before The King meet a range of community representatives and local Elders.

While The King was in Redfern, The Queen visited  Refettorio OzHarvest in nearby Surry Hills (OzHarvest is a charity that collects food from restaurants etc that would otherwise throw it out and delivers it to charities that feed people - https://www.ozharvest.org/). She helped prepare the lunch being served in the restaurant and then spoke to the people who had gathered outside to see her.

After visiting OzHarvest, the Queen  visited the Green Square Library in the suburb of Zetland for a writing workshop, where she met schoolchildren taking part in workshops with local authors. She also met past participants of The Queen's Commonwealth Essay Competition and presented 4 certificates, and met with authors Liane Moriarty and Thomas Keneally.

The King and Queen then attended a BBQ at Parramatta Park, hosted by the NSW Premier. The BBQ was by invitation only and guests included  around 500 community leaders, volunteers and sports officials. There was a variety of entertainment on offer, including sheepdog trials and backyard cricket. While they took the tongs at the BBQ, it was only for a few seconds, as they spent most of the time meeting people.

Following the community barbecue, His Majesty attended The King’s Foundation Reception at Admiralty House in Kirribilli, where he met Hillview Foundation Australia chair Dominic Richards and The King’s Foundation chief executive officer Mrs Kristina Murrin and unveiled a plaque.

In the afternoon, The King toured the Melanoma Institute Australia in Wollstonecraft and met current patients. He also met Australians of the Year, Professor Georgina Long and Professor Richard Scolyer and heard about their cancer research and treatment.

The last event was at the Sydney Opera house. The King and Queen waved as they drove slowly through the crowds up to the Opera House, with the Queen wearing a new outfit. They were greeted by the NSW Premier and his wife and met 6 special guests, British actor Dame Joanna Lumley, actor Heather Mitchell, acrobat and dancer Lucia Richardson, singer Jin Tea Kim, artistic director of Bangarra Dance Theatre Francis Rings and Sydney Symphony orchestra principal bass clarinet player Alexander Morris. They signed the guest book and posed for photos before walking through the crowd before leaving for the fleet review.

The King and Queen boarded Admiral Hudson, a Kingfisher 54 cruiser, to watch Fleet Review of the Royal Australian Navy and a flypast by the Royal Australian Air Force, The Royal Australian Army was also involved. It was the fourth fleet review in Australian history.

The King and Queen now leave Australia for CHOGM in Samoa, which runs from the 21st ro the 26th of October.

Edit: The King is going to CHOGM; I'm not sure what The Queen is doing.

[thehouseofwindsor]

Charles III King of the United Kingdom

King Charles III speaks during a farewell ceremony, on the final day of the royal visit to Australia and Samoa before waving farewell marking the official end of Their Majesties State Visit to Samoa.

Looking down at his shoes as he prepares to board the plane bring one thought to mind. I need some feet pics of His Majesty.

[camillasgirl]

The King and Queen will visit Australia and Samoa

Their Majesties The King and Queen will undertake an Autumn Tour from Friday 18th – Saturday 26th October 2024. This will include a Royal Visit to Australia, State Visit to The Independent State of Samoa and attendance at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) 2024. 

The King’s visit to Australia will be His Majesty’s first to a Realm as Monarch, whilst the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Samoa is the first The King will attend as Head of the Commonwealth. In both countries, Their Majesties’ engagements will focus on themes designed to celebrate the best of Australia and Samoa, as well as reflecting aspects of The King and Queen’s work.  

Australia 

In Australia, His Majesty, as Head of State, accompanied by Her Majesty The Queen, will visit Parliament House, in Canberra, where Their Majesties will be welcomed by the Prime Minister, Mr Anthony Albanese. His Majesty will address a reception attended by political and community leaders, and prominent Australians who have demonstrated outstanding achievement in a variety of fields, including health, arts, culture and sports. Their Majesties will pay their respects to the Fallen, laying a wreath at the Australian War Memorial and visiting the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander memorial, ‘For Our Country’. The King and Queen will conduct a Fleet Review of the Royal Australian Navy, in Sydney Harbour. 

On the theme of sustainability, The King will visit CSIRO, the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, meeting firefighters and learning more about the centre’s work to combat the bush fires which devastate millions of hectares of Australian land each year. Their Majesties will tour the National Botanic Gardens, home to the largest living collection of Australian native plants in the world, where they will learn about Indigenous plant use. They will also hear from staff and volunteers about how climate change is affecting biodiversity.

The King, who has this year been receiving treatment for cancer, will meet Professor Georgina Long and Professor Richard Scolyer, both Australians of the Year, and will hear about the work they do to help those affected by melanoma, one of Australia’s most common cancers. 

Meanwhile, Her Majesty’s programme will also reflect the themes of her wider work, including her passion for encouraging reading and literacy and her desire to raise awareness of domestic and family violence. At a library in Sydney, Her Majesty will meet children participating in a Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition workshop. In Canberra, The Queen will join a discussion on domestic and family violence, with some of those whose lives been affected by it, and experts who work in the field. Her Majesty will also meet representatives of GIVIT, a charity which matches donors with those in need, of which she is Patron.

Their Majesties will attend a community BBQ in Western Sydney, sampling a range of produce from across New South Wales, experiencing the cultural diversity of Australian communities and meeting local residents. The King will also meet Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander representatives and groups to learn about their work in supporting local community and strengthening culture. 

Samoa

Their Majesties’ State Visit to Samoa will celebrate the warm bilateral relationship between the two countries, which has been further strengthened by Samoa’s hosting of CHOGM 2024. The King and Queen will receive a formal welcome to the country, in the form of an ‘Ava Fa’atupu ceremony, before meeting Samoans at an engagement to highlight aspects of Samoan traditions and culture. His Majesty will also spend time with young people and community and faith leaders. 

The King’s programme will, in addition, reflect the theme of sustainability and biodiversity, in support of one of the key themes of CHOGM – ‘A Resilient Environment’, and the meeting’s focus on oceans. His Majesty will visit both a mangrove forest and a National Park, witnessing the work which is carried out by local communities to restore and protect both these vital ecosystems. He will also plant a tree in Samoa’s Botanical Garden, marking the opening of a new area within the site, which will be called ‘The King’s Garden’.  Meanwhile Her Majesty’s engagements will again focus on the wider themes of her work. The Queen will visit an aoga faifeau (traditional Samoan Pastor’s School) to see first-hand how pupils are taught to read and write. Her Majesty will also visit the Samoa Victim Support Group, an organisation which assists survivors of domestic violence and sexual abuse, where she will learn more about the services the group provides to those in crisis.

CHOGM 2024

The Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Samoa will bring together delegations from 56 countries across Africa, the Caribbean and Americas, Europe, Asia, and the Pacific. The overall theme of this year’s meeting is: ‘One Resilient Common Future: Transforming Our Common Wealth’.

In His Majesty’s first Commonwealth Day message as Sovereign, in March 2023, The King said of the Commonwealth: ‘Its near-boundless potential as a force for good in the world demands our highest ambition; its sheer scale challenges us to unite and be bold.’ CHOGM 2024 will see some of that ambition and unity on display with an emphasis on resilience across 4 key areas – resilient societies and peoples, resilient democratic institutions, a resilient environment and resilient economies. 

As Head of the Commonwealth, The King, accompanied by The Queen, will attend the CHOGM Opening Ceremony and will host a Dinner for Commonwealth Heads of Government. The King will also host a Reception for New Heads of Government and will attend the CHOGM Business Forum to hear about progress on sustainable urbanisation and investment in solutions to tackle climate change. 

Gender Equality and Women’s empowerment is one of CHOGM’s key themes, and Her Majesty will attend a side event to the Women’s Forum on the subject of ‘Advocating for Women and Girls in the Commonwealth’, with a focus on eliminating violence against women and improving health. 

[sussex-newswire]

"Never forget this: the Royal Family had a chance to look like it was changing for the better – even if it wasn’t.

"That chance arrived in May 2018 when Prince Harry married Meghan Markle, a popular American actress. No, she didn’t fit the mould: Meghan is biracial, progressive, outspoken, and crucially, not part of the establishment. That, of course, was the point. The perception that her presence alone was enough to somehow modernise the institution was widespread. For a while, as part of the 'Fab Four', that is exactly how it seemed.

"She was greeted around the UK like a star. More importantly, Meghan’s reception in former commonwealth countries, particularly nations with large black populations, was always positive, not just because of the assumed kinship between her and members of the African diaspora, but because of the ease with which she embraces official visits. While Harry may not share that ancestry, his relaxed, more human-seeming demeanour complemented hers, staving off – at least for a short time – focus on the Royal Family’s bloody legacy.

"Royals tours headed by Harry and Meghan were not, in fact, any less problematic with a biracial ambassador, but through a cynical lens, their presence certainly made the spectacle more palatable.

"None of this is now open to the Royal Family – and I find it strange that they didn’t have the foresight to capitalise on this opportunity. Perhaps they assumed debates about colonialism would fade into the background. How wrong they were.

"For this brave new world soon shattered, as rumours of ructions between the princes and their wives emerged. Desperate to protect his family, and fearing a repeat of the press hounding of his mother, Harry took his family to Canada and then California, from where he and Meghan mounted a defence. But it is worth repeating again and again that before Spare, before the Netflix documentary, before Harry and Meghan’s battle with the British media had reached ugly new heights, the Royal Family had a unique chance to utilise the couple’s relatability.

"Instead, the Royal Family chose to hasten its own decline. With 15 realms left in its dwindling roster of territories and ongoing threats towards its very existence, it’s not surprising that the royals are throwing everything they have at retaining some sense of relevance and reverence on the global stage. The problem – at least for them – is that they’re not doing a very good job.

"While King Charles and Queen Camilla’s royal tour to Australia and Samoa largely received positive press compared with poorly received visits to the Caribbean in 2022, for example, both were haunted by the very thing tours like these are designed to paper over: the devastating impact of the British Empire’s legacy on the UK’s former colonies – and the inevitability of the consequences the royals are facing as a result of that legacy.

...

"In truth, the Royal Family no longer represents much practical use to the public. If only they had grasped the opportunity to change – it didn’t need to be like this."

[princesscatherinemiddleton]

2024 ROYAL PREDICTIONS

I am greatly lowering my expectations for this year...

- King Charles and Queen Camilla undertake a tour of Australia, New Zealand, Tonga and Samoa, alongside attending the 2024 CHOGM

- The Prince and Princess of Wales go on one joint tour

- The Prince and Princess of Wales go on one solo working visit each

- The 2024 Earthshot Prize ceremony is hosted in Africa

- Peter Phillips gets engaged and married

- One of the York girls announces another pregnancy

- There is an Edinburgh PR push

- A monarch dies

- A Norwegian royal death (sorry!)

- Princess Martha Louise's wedding is the highlight of the year

- Princess Ingrid Alexandra takes on her first patronages

- Baby Luxembourg is a girl

- Prince Sebastien of Luxembourg announces an engagement

- Princess Elisabeth of Belgium takes on her first patronages

- Mary and Frederik do something to celebrate their 20th wedding anniversary

- There is a Greek/Danish party for Princess Benedikte's 80th birthday

- Princess Madeleine and her family return to Sweden

- Princess Sofia of Sweden announces a pregnancy

- Crown Princess Amalia and Princess Alexia have a joint engagement

- A Jordanian Princess has a baby

- We see lots of royals at the Summer Olympics

[scotianostra]

November 13th 1850 saw the birth of Robert Louis Stevenson in Edinburgh.

As the author of such classics as Treasure Island, Kidnapped and The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, Stevenson is known the world over, instead of reeling off the usual facts about the life of the man I thought I would dig up some facts that are not so well known.

When Stevenson first wrote Treasure Island, he submitted his stories under nom-de-plume of Captain George North to a children's periodical called Young Folks.

He may have invented the sleeping bag; according to the Stevenson House website: "R.L.S. has a good claim to be the inventor of the Sleeping Bag, taking a large fleece-lined sack with him to sleep in on the journey through France described in his book Travels with a Donkey in the Cevennes." For the record, his six-foot square sleeping sack was made of "green waterproof cart-cloth without and blue sheep's fur within".

Stevenson collected corselets (a sort of protective girdle) and was particularly proud of his ones from the Gilbert Island, which were designed to offer effective protection against sharks’ teeth weapons, throwing spears and European knives and bayonets. They were made of coconut fibre and decorated with human hair. They were given to him by King Tembinoka, the Tyrant of the Island of Apemama.

He had wooden teeth, when he was living in America in 1878 and pursuing the unhappily married Fanny Vandegrift Osbourne - a woman 11 years his senior - Stevenson lived in San Francisco's Chinatown. He was lonely and in poor health and while in Tubbs Hotel he had trouble with a bleeding mouth and rotten teeth. A local dentist removed all his teeth and fitted him with false wooden replacements. He married Fanny shortly afterwards.

As well as a writer, he was also a keen musician and composer, Stevenson played the piano and flageolet and wrote more than 100 original musical compositions and arrangements, including solos, duets, trios and quartet. His works include ten songs written to his own poetry.

He burnt the first draft of Jekyll & Hyde, the story was promoted by a dream he had while in Bournemouth of a "fine bogey tale", was written around the same time as Kidnapped and was partly based on Deacon Brodie, the 18th-century Edinburgh cabinetmaker. His wife Fanny complained that he had not made the allegory strong enough and he tossed the 30,000 word manuscript into the fire. Then in "a white heat", using a quill pen and ink pot, he stayed in bed for three days and wrote a new version. He would later claim that it was the worst thing he ever wrote but The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde sold 40,000 copies in its first six months on sale in 1886.

Long John Silver stayed at the Royal Infirmary. Treasure Island character Long John Silver was based on poet WE Henley, who RLS frequently visited at the Royal Infirmary. Henley suffered from tuberculosis of the bone and acquired a wooden leg after having his left leg amputated in 1868.

He left a number of books unfinished before his untimely death in Samoa on December 3rd 1894. Reports at the time said he had died of "apoplexy" due to the heat. It was also described as a stroke and a cerebral haemorrhage brought on by straining to opening a jar of mayonnaise. Or a bottle of wine. No one is sure. He was only 44.

Stevenson was buried in a grand ceremony on Mount Vaea, Upolu and his tomb is inscribed with the words: “Home is the sailor, home from the sea,/And the hunter home from the hill.” On the day he died he had been dictating words for his unfinished novel The Chief Justice's Clerk. He also left behind an uncompleted novel called St Ives (the story of a French prisoner who made his escape from Edinburgh Castle), The Young Chevalier, Heathercat and Weir of Hermiston.

Stevenson wrote his own inscription on his grave, the full verse reads...

Under the wide and starry sky,

Dig the grave and let me lie.

Glad did I live and gladly die

,And I laid me down with a will.

This be the verse you grave for me:

Here he lies where he longed to be;

Home is the sailor, home from sea,

And the hunter home from the hill.

[captainmartinisblog]

So Much For The Sun-Hat!

Thursday 20th February 2025 – Apia, Samoa (nearly!!)

Well, as you might have realised, Andrew won the bet last night. Captain ‘Stan’ was on the tannoy at 8am to tell us that the port of Apia was closed because of the weather! The ship was rocking and rolling all night and this was the scene this morning.

Honestly, what with pouring rain and swells of 10-12 feet, it was like winter North Atlantic outside, except is was 80 degrees!

Having written the novel ‘Treasure Island’ in 1883, the author Robert Louis Stevenson made 3 voyages through the South Seas from 1888.

Throughout his life, he suffered bronchial problems and in 1890 he bought a home and settled in Samoa, supposedly for his health.

Sadly, he died just 4 years later in 1894 from a brain haemorrhage, aged just 44. His grave is on Mount Vaea.

In 1889, and stationed in Apia, Samoa, the Royal Navy’s HMS Calliope was at the centre of one of the most famous episodes of seamanship of the 19th century when a tropical cyclone struck the area.

Sailing out into the hurricane, the Calliope was stranded at sea for two days and was the only ship to survive the storm. When she returned to port, all 12 ships in the harbour had either been wrecked or sunk.

Looking at the weather today, as Captain ‘Stan’ conducts crew safety drills and tries to find us a more sheltered sea, perhaps it was a good idea we didn’t dock in Apia after all!

In 1900, after years of skirmishes between the Americans, Germans and British (not to mention the locals!) the Germans took control of what became known as Western Samoa but upon the outbreak of war in 1914, New Zealand troops landed and took over. The islands were then governed under Trusteeship through the League of Nations and later, the United Nations. Western Samoa became independent in 1962 and is a member of the British Commonwealth.

Today, we were supposed to have been enjoying a colourful local bus sightseeing tour including the Falefa Falls…..aah, well (sighs).

And as if things weren’t bad enough, at 2pm, Captain ‘Stan’ gave us the bad news that we all feared – that the port of Pago Pago had just closed and will be closed tomorrow (it’s pronounced “pah-gaw pah-gaw” by the way, for all the difference that makes!) So it looks like it’s going to be another 3 days before we make landfall at Bora Bora – unless they find us somewhere else to go in the meantime…..

So with a following sea and all the outer decks closed, I spent the afternoon in the shelter of our balcony, reading, napping, listening to Josh Groban and generally enjoying the wonderful power of the sea – until it was time to eat again!

We wanted to return to Sette Mari, the Italian open-seating restaurant and were persuaded that the best time for a good table was 6.30 – a bit early for us but we’d had an unscheduled day at sea, so we agreed. The only drawback to this was/is that you have to queue to get in when the restaurant opens.

Personally, queueing for the restaurant reminds me of Butlins and the lowest of cruise lines but it seems such things are not beneath the likes of even Regent passengers! Waiting in the lobby, the pool deck doors kept opening, letting a gust of wind blow through and I couldn’t help thinking of the movie ‘Mary Poppins’ and the scene where all the nannies get blown away!

Nevertheless, service was attentive, personal and delightful. After all the usual anti-pasti, there were buffet starters; the roasted garlic was an indulgence, as were the baked mussels. I’m not so sure about the other thing; I thought it was Octopus but it transpired it was Veal & Tuna of all things! My error there!

I also had the Ribollita (Tuscan Black and White Bean Soup), followed by the Grigliata di Pesce Mista (Grilled Fish Fillet with Baby Squid & Shrimp in Breadcrumbs). The fish was Branzino (ie Sea Bass) and it was surprisingly filling but very good.

However, upon a visit to the dessert buffet, I couldn’t resist the Cannoli Siciliana; I had one the first time and they are scrumptious!

Retiring to deck 4 relatively early at 8pm, we were able to get seats in the Voyager Lounge for the first time.

The Philippine couple who do sets here during the evening are quite good and very popular, so until tonight, we’ve never got a seat. But tonight we were in-between sets, so it was a nice venue in which to close the evening with a coffee and a Cointreau (Frangelico for Andrew) before bed (or Casino, then bed fir Andrew!)

Tonight we cross the International Date Line and get to re-live the whole day all over again!

[news365timesindia]

[ad_1] According to UK media reports, King Charles III and Queen Camilla are set to embark on an official royal tour of India early next year. This will be the King’s first official visit to India since he ascended the throne. British officials consider the trip a positive move for the King, particularly after his cancer diagnosis earlier this year. The news follows Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s expression of enthusiasm to welcome the royal couple, after their previous visit was cancelled. The British Foreign Office has granted permission for officials to initiate talks with India and other potential host nations. The royal tour will also include visits to Pakistan and Bangladesh as part of a subcontinent trip that was canceled after the passing of Queen Elizabeth II in September 2022. In October, King Charles III and Queen Camilla made a private visit to a wellness retreat in Bengaluru, where they spent four days. A royal source told Reuters that the visit was not related to the King’s health, but rather a chance for him to rest after returning from Samoa, where he attended the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting. The Commonwealth Summit on October 25-26 was King Charles III’s first major international trip since his cancer diagnosis. Buckingham Palace revealed the King’s cancer diagnosis in February this year. His spokesperson later confirmed that, with his treatment going well, they are considering a “fairly typical full overseas tour program” for next year. The couple’s most recent official visit to India was in 2019 when Charles held the title of Prince of Wales. The trip focused on climate change, sustainability, and social finance.   [ad_2] Source link

[thewomenofwindsor]

King Charles will 'pause' his cancer treatment during his high-profile royal visit to Australia/Samoa later this month. His doctors have agreed the decision. It’s a sign of the commitment to duty HM has shown since his diagnosis.