King Charles and Queen Camilla waved from the steps of a Royal Australian Air Force jet as they bade farewell to Samoa after a successful four-day state visit.
Charles, 75, and Camilla, 77, visited Siumu Village earlier on Saturday morning for a farewell ceremomy and were greeted with the same wet conditions they arrived in Sydney to eight days earlier.
Their Majesties arrived at Faleolo VIP Terminal in a motorcade and briefly greeted the Deputy Prime Minister of Samoa, the Minister for Enviroment and Police Commissioner while sheltering under umbrellas,
The Queen cautiously made her way up the steps first and turned to wave before heading in the dry.
A few minutes later the King boarded the aircraft, after being joined by the Queen to wave to those gathered below.
Earlier on Saturday, the King said he will “always remain devoted to this part of the world” as he said farewell to Samoa.
Visiting a village twinned with the UK for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), Charles was honoured with the chiefly title of To’aiga-O-Tumua by the village’s high chief, as he and Camilla were presented with sacred kava in coconut shells with straws.
“May God bless this kava,” the King said as he lifted the cup and drank.
The chief told Charles: “Your papa, Prince Philip, was here, so thank you for making the time. Your royal visit has lifted our house.”
Villages around the Samoan capital Apia are twinned with each of the 56 member states of the Commonwealth, flying the flags of the countries they have adopted, with street furniture painted in the national colours.
In his impromptu speech Charles said: “We’ve been so impressed by the beautiful way in which all the villages have decorated the roadsides, it is something very special about Samoa.”
He thanked residents for their “wonderful generosity” bringing gifts of food and “other wonderful things”, and said the royal couple would take away “special memories of our time here”.
When the couple arrived, a downpour began, drenching villagers and elders gathered for the ceremony which took place just an hour before their flight home.
