Samoan PM urges King to dress down and embrace 'island vibe'

The King has been urged to ditch the suit and embrace an 'island vibe' when he attends a Commonwealth meeting in Samoa next month. 

It comes as Samoa's Prime Minister, Fiame Naomia Mata'afa, has asked all delegates attending the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) on October 21, to dress down.

The King may even return to the UK as an island chief, after a local mayor revealed plans to bestow an honorary title on the monarch. 

It is understood the PM has been especially 'frank' with Charles, who is known for his well-cut, bespoke suits, as she sought to prepare her royal visitors for the occasion.

She told The Telegraph: 'October's very hot in Samoa. We're not really keen for people to wear suits and be hot and uncomfortable.'

The PM wants people to be 'comfortable' in what they wear so that delegates may have a 'good meeting', the newspaper reported. 

King Charles opts for double-breasted and wide-lapelled suits in a navy or dark grey, often crafted by fashion industry experts including Anderson & Sheppard and Gieves & Hawkes.

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In the summer months, the King typically switches to cream or beige tones and is rarely seen in anything but a suit and tie.

He once said it was his royal duty on royal tours abroad to showcase British craftsmanship and tailoring.

He is expected to stick with the suit for his upcoming visit to Australia and Samoa.  

However, the King has been known to embrace the local culture of his host country — and has even, on occasion, ditched the tie. 

In 2000, Charles was pictured wearing a head dress of hawk feathers and palm leaves during a visit to the Iworkrama Rainforest in South America.

In 1977, the then Prince of Wales was pictured in a full head-dress when he became Indian Chief Red Crow of the Blackfeet nation during a visit to Alberta, Canada. 

The King wore a colourful tribal robe to honour the Ashanti tribe in 1977 during a visit to Kumasi, Ghana.

And, he was presented with a traditional wedding robe of blue velvet embroidered with gold during a trip to Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan in 1996.

Meanwhile, local mayor Tofaeono Atuaia Kitiona, revealed that the monarch could be leaving Samoa with a new title. 

He told the Samoan Observer: 'Given the King's imminent arrival, it is only fitting that we confer upon him a chiefly title that befits his stature.'

He said the area where the King and Queen will be staying has its own traditional kings with 'matai' family chieftain titles handed down through generations.

Mr Kitiona said his village were 'deeply honoured' to be hosting the King and Queen.