King Charles and Camilla arrive in Samoa on four-day royal tour and 'can't wait' to get started

King Charles and Camilla arrived in Samoa following the end of their six-day visit to Australia where the couple were welcomed by large crowds in Sydney and Canberra

The King and Queen have arrived in the Pacific Island of Samoa for the start of their four day visit to the country.

Charles and Camilla said they "can't wait" for their state visit and experience the "warmth" of the country's ancient traditions. The royal couple ended their six-day tour of Australia and boarded a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) plane bound for the Polynesian nation.

Samoa's prime minister Afioga Fiame Naomi Mataafa and UK foreign secretary David Lammy greeted the royal couple when they stepped off a Royal Australian Air Force jet for the final leg of their overseas trip.

Soon after leaving Sydney this morning after their six day visit to Australia, the King and Queen posted a message on social media to say: "As we head towards Apia, we can't wait to visit Samoa for the first time together and to experience the warmth of ancient traditions with your remarkable people. Feiloa'i ma le manuia!

The tweet included a few words in Samoan loosely translated as "looking forward to meeting the Samoan people". The royals left Australia after a crowd of 10,000 greeted them with huge cheers outside a sun soaked Sydney Opera House on Tuesday afternoon.

Buckingham Palace officials were deeming the six day visit a success after the royals were largely welcomed by communities and large crowds across Sydney and the capital Canberra. A lone Aboriginal Australian senator shouted at the King and Queen during their visit to Parliament House in Canberra on Monday, accusing them of genocide before being escorted out the building.

Lidia Thorpe was widely criticised by politicians across the divide as well as local indigenous leaders for her outburst. Palace sources said the King was "unruffled" by the protest and was "very much looking forward" to their visit to Samoa, for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (Chogm) which has the theme "One Resilient Common Future".

The King is head of the Commonwealth and for the first time will preside over the gathering of presidents and prime ministers, and formally open the event which will be attended by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer. Charles deputised for Queen Elizabeth II during the last Chogm staged by Rwanda in 2022 and in Samoa will be joined by Foreign Secretary David Lammy.

This evening the King and Queen will hold a private audience with the Prime Minister of Samoa, Fiamē Naomi Mataʻafa Ms Mataʻafa last week urged her guests including five monarchs, prime ministers and dignitaries from the 56 commonwealth nations to swap summer suits and feel the “island vibe” with their outfits.

The meeting, hosted by a Pacific island for the first time, kicked off on Monday. She said she had been “frank” in her discussions with London in particular, as she sought to prepare her VIP royal visitors for what to expect.

“I had an audience with the King,” she said of their meeting at Buckingham Palace earlier this year. October’s very hot in Samoa. We’re not really keen for people to wear suits and be hot and uncomfortable.

“You know, we want to encourage more of an island vibe (but) just because it’s an island doesn’t mean we’re on holiday. It just means that people have to be comfortable so we can have a good meeting.” The King is unlikely, however, to ditch his suits after attending a community barbeque in Sydney yesterday (TUES) where he got involved in a “sausage sizzle” flipping bangers on the grill a suit and tie.

Charles and Camilla will tomorrow receive an official ‘Ava ceremonial’ welcome to Samoa when they arrive at the National University of Samoa.

They will be presented with ceremonial garlands before watching the ceremony where afterwards the monarch will be offered a drink, made from the root of the plant said to produce “sedative, anesthetic, and euphoriant properties”.

At engagements on the island in the day, Charles and Camilla will be introduced to the heart of Samoan Culture where the chief of Moata’a will bestow a High Chief title to the King. Ever keen to highlight the importance of climate change, the King will hear about the importance of the community-led efforts to restore and protect the marine ecosystem.

More than 70 per cent of the island’s population and infrastructure are located in low-lying coastal areas. Projected sea level rises and coastal erosion could lead to the loss of land and property and dislocation of the island inhabitants, if urgent action is not taken.