- Published
The King shook off royal formality and replaced it with some dance moves on the second day of his nine-day visit to the Caribbean.
asserted
King → publish → Caribbean
Armed with a pair of maracas in the colours of the flag of the Bahamas, Charles joined a Junkanoo - a cultural event and carnival designed to celebrate island life.
asserted
Charles → arm → life
Amidst the feathered headdresses and brightly coloured costumes in the afternoon Caribbean heat, the King, dressed in a suit and sunglasses, joined dancers at the front of parade to cheers from the crowd.
asserted
King → colour → crowd
It was a lighter mood coming after the King's arrival on Tuesday where he delivered a speech acknowledging the pain of the slave trade, describing "the suffering of the past".
asserted
he → come → past
Speaking at an event in the Bahamas celebrating local youth on Tuesday, the King said the country's culture was "born out of darkness", and it was "only right" to acknowledge historic injustices.
asserted
it → speak → injustices
Charles began the second day of his trip by paying his respects to fallen members of the Royal Bahamas Defence Force (RBDF).
asserted
Charles → begin → Force
The King, wearing a set of medals and sunglasses, spoke with servicemen and women before he laid a wreath at the Flamingo Monument, which commemorates four RBDF Marines killed when Cuban MiG fighter aircraft sunk HMBS Flamingo in May 1980.
uncertain
aircraft → wear → May
Later, on a visit to the Bahamas Boxing Academy, the King found young fighters and the head coach wearing an image of himself emblazoned on club t-shirts showing the King complete with a crown, gloves and a boxing belt.
asserted
fighters → find → crown
"He loved it, he loved it," said Jermaine Gibson, president of a neighbouring boxing club who wore one of the t-shirts.
asserted
who → love → shirts
"He said it was really good and we gave him one of his own."
asserted
we → say → own
The King watched two young fighters sparring in the ring at the academy which trains boys and girls from the age of eight to 18 years old.
asserted
which → watch → years
"I might see you at a Commonwealth Games," the King told a group of children at the boxing academy.
uncertain
King → see → academy
Protecting this region from climate change is a theme of the King's trip and was the focus of his visit to the Bonefish Pond National Park.
asserted
Protecting → protect → Park
The site was once a rubbish dump but has been redeveloped and now protects 1,235 acres of mangroves.
asserted
site → redevelop → mangroves
The King walked along a new boardwalk through the wetlands to see the conservation work being done to protect this vulnerable, low lying island from climate change.
asserted
King → walk → change
He met students carrying out field work in the wetland waters asking them about their exams and ambitions to be marine biologists.
asserted
He → meet → exams
"We've so been looking forward to this," said Joanne Smith, President of the Bahamas National Trust Council.
asserted
Smith → look → Council
"We want more Bahamians to get involved in our national parks so they can use it to better themselves…
asserted
they → want → themselves
we are so pleased to have the King here, this is really significant for us.
asserted
this → have → us
Then it was on to the Junkanoo, where the King could be seen dancing alongside attendees dressed in feathered headdresses and bright costumes.
uncertain
King → see → headdresses
The history of the Junkanoo is not clear but it's believed it emerged out of the slave trade when enslaved men and women were given time off to mark Christmas.
asserted
men → believe → Christmas
A small protest near the parade was moved on by the police.
asserted
protest → move → police
The King ended his day with a garden reception at Government House in Nassau where he met Bahamians who have made significant contributions to public life.
asserted
who → end → life
In a speech, Dame Cynthia A Pratt, the governor general of the Bahamas who is the King's representative on the island, described her pride at Charles visiting the country for the first time since 1973.
asserted
Charles → describe → 1973
"We trust that your time in our capital will reflect the legendary hospitality of our people," said Dame Cynthia.
asserted
Cynthia → trust → people
"We pray that this royal visit further strengthens the enduring bonds of friendship between the Crown and the Bahamian people."
asserted
visit → pray → Crown
On Thursday, the Caribbean tour leaves the Bahamas as the King continues his visit in Guyana.
asserted
King → leave → Guyana
The trip has been planned alongside the governments of the Bahamas, Guyana and Antigua and Barbuda with an emphasis on honouring the past but also looking forward to the ambition and possibility for future generations.
asserted
trip → plan → generations
The King will move to Guyana later this week where his engagements will focus on the environment and biodiversity.
asserted
engagements → move → environment
He will then visit Antigua and Barbuda, where he will be joined by Queen Camilla, for the CHOGM and his keynote speech as leader of the Commonwealth.
asserted
he → visit → Commonwealth
The biennial summit will bring together leaders of 56 Commonwealth countries to address shared challenges and advance cooperation.
asserted
summit → bring → cooperation
The Aporia
