By Basant El-Faramawy
King Charles and Queen Camilla reunited for a beach clean-up at Fort James Beach in Antigua as their nine-day Caribbean tour concluded.
Beach clean-up at Fort James Beach
The royal couple used litter pickers to collect rubbish, with the Queen walking barefoot on the sand. They were briefed by Jennifer Meranto, founder of Adopt a Coastline, and youth ambassadors about the campaign to protect the island's coastline.
The King was reportedly shocked to learn that 71 bags of rubbish had been collected from the beach in just two hours that morning. Chantal Miller, founder of Island Girls Rock, said the King expressed surprise at the volume gathered in such a short time.
During the visit, Charles discovered that Miller is best friends with his goddaughter, Fiona Compton, founder of Know Your Caribbean. Compton's father, the late Saint Lucia prime minister Sir John Compton, was a close friend of the King.
Commonwealth banquet and tour conclusion
Later, a banquet for Commonwealth leaders marked the final event of the tour, which included a state visit to Guyana, a trip to the Bahamas, and the opening of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Antigua.
Speaking at the dinner, the King praised the Commonwealth's ability to unite diverse nations and joked about his role providing an "umbrella" for members, referencing an earlier incident where he called for an umbrella during heavy rain at an independence celebration.
Charles and Camilla are scheduled to depart on the ministerial jet Voyager, after being farewelled by Antigua's governor-general, Sir Rodney Williams, and his wife, Lady Williams.
