King Charles received a warm welcome in the Bahamas on Tuesday as the people of the island embraced their King, embarking on his first royal visit as the country’s Head of State.
Elated was the mood across Nassau and the island of the Bahamas as King Charles touched down on the small, roughly 10,000-square-kilometre country. As one of the Realms of the United Kingdom, the King is the acting Head of State, with his representative, the Governor-General, Dame Cynthia A. “Mother” Pratt, since 2023. His Majesty is paying a royal visit in connection with the King and Queen’s Autumn Tour, which will take King Charles to the Bahamas and Guyana, followed by a joint visit with Queen Camilla to Antigua and Barbuda to open the 28th Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), which also coincides with the country’s 45th anniversary of independence.
At Lynden Pindling International Airport on Tuesday afternoon, the King was formally welcomed by, among others, Acting Chief of Protocol Celest Evans-Williams; the Governor-General of the Bahamas, H.E. Dame Cynthia Pratt; and Prime Minister Philip E. Davis.
In sunglasses and a grey suit, the King ascended the dais, where 96 members of the Royal Bahamas Police Force and the Royal Bahamas Defence Force provided a Guard of Honour and extended a Royal Salute. His Majesty then inspected the Guard of Honour before departing.
A much livelier welcome awaited the King as hundreds of schoolchildren and locals packed Nassau’s Clifford Park for a youth rally that held particular significance for His Majesty. The historic site is where the Bahamas officially gained its independence in 1973. As Prince of Wales, the King attended the independence celebrations over fifty years ago to deliver a formal message from Queen Elizabeth II to the Bahamian people.
On Tuesday, the King was met by various officials, including senior Bahamian political figures, as well as local pupils who accompanied His Majesty to view four exhibitions.
The King had the opportunity to hear of the work and achievements from the exhibitors including: FEMStem Bahamas, a youth-based non-profit organisation dedicated to empowering high school girls in the Bahamas through science, technology, engineering and maths; Doctor’s Hospital Bridge to the Future Stem Program, a community outreach program open to students from 10-12th grade interested in S.T.E.M; the Young Innovators Club, an eight-week youth innovation program for ages 15 to 25 focused on solving real world community challenges through S.T.E.M. and entrepreneurship; and Gold Medal recipients of the Governor-General’s Youth Awards, which is the Bahamas’s delivery of The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award, providing a personal development programme for young people aged 14 to 24.
Rapturous applause resounded as the King emerged from the exhibition tent, with elation on the faces of every school child who filled the space to the brim. His Majesty watched a cultural performance that included a Choral Prayer by Combined National Youth and Children’s Choirs, a Combined Youth Rake & Scrape Performance showcasing the traditional folk music of the Bahamas, and a Spoken Word Song and Cultural Presentation.
One young girl said, “I’m very honoured and intrigued that he’s come here, because one day I was sitting in my classroom, the next day I’m actually watching him on the screen. It’s an amazing occasion. About his speech? It’s honestly good to see that he cares about what’s happening on this planet (…) I hope that he comes back soon!”
After the performances, members of the Royal Bahamas Defence Force Rangers, Royal Bahamas Police Force Cadets, and National Youth Guard paraded onto the rally site carrying flags from all the Family Islands.
The King addressed the crowd on the main stage, where He touched on the “injustices of the past” and his enduring legacy of tackling climate change.
“It is only right that we should acknowledge the great suffering and injustices of the past in these islands and beyond even as we rejoice in the successes of the present and build new opportunities for the future. I know that leaders of the governments of affected Commonwealth countries will be discussing these matters in Antigua and Barbuda next week.This evening though, it gives me enormous hope to see the way generations of Bahamians have carried the history, the legacy, and the promise bequeathed to you by your ancestors with pride in your hearts and purpose in your steps. Indeed, you have not only carried their legacy, you have nurtured and enhanced it creatively and courageously.” —King Charles III Address to Youth Rally (excerpt)
Before leaving Clifford Park, King Charles also met with the performers and several young people. This first engagement by the King provided an opportunity to reflect on the shared history while looking to the future by celebrating the achievements and aspirations of young Bahamians, per Buckingham Palace.
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