King Charles has joked about the viral footage of his drenching in a Caribbean downpour, telling Commonwealth leaders he would “provide an umbrella for you all” at a banquet in Antigua.
Footage of Charles raising his arms and calling for an umbrella on Sunday, as torrential rain fell moments after he arrived at a cricket stadium for Antigua and Barbuda independence celebrations, was seen around the world.
The joke that brought applause
The dinner on Tuesday, held for presidents and prime ministers, was the last event in a nine-day tour of the Caribbean that included a state visit to Guyana, a trip to the Bahamas and a final leg in Antigua to open the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting.
“Although perhaps part of my role as Head of the Commonwealth is to provide an umbrella for you all,” the King quipped in his speech. The joke was received with laughter in the dining hall and a round of applause, the Oldham Times reported.
A serious speech behind the humour
In the same speech to launch the summit, Charles said the transatlantic slave trade “fills my heart with horror and my soul with the most profound personal sorrow”, but he did not offer an apology.
The Royal Family’s official account shared footage of the King and Queen welcoming Commonwealth Heads of State, their partners and delegates to the official dinner on the final night of the visit to Antigua on November 4.
The nine-day tour took Charles through Guyana, the Bahamas and Antigua, ending with the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Antigua. The umbrella moment, filmed on Sunday as the King arrived at a cricket stadium for independence celebrations, spread quickly because it was so relatable: a head of state, soaked, asking for shelter like anyone else. The banquet joke turned an embarrassing clip into a warm moment — and showed the King is happy to laugh at himself.
