King Charles III participated in a traditional kava-drinking ceremony in Samoa, where he was honored with the title of “high chief.” This ceremony took place before a group of bare-chested, tattooed Samoans during his 11-day tour of Australia and Samoa, marking his first significant international trip since being diagnosed with cancer earlier this year.
Dressed in a white safari-style suit, the 75-year-old monarch sat at the front of a beautifully carved wooden longhouse on Thursday. He was presented with a polished half-coconut filled with kava, a mildly narcotic drink that is an important part of Pacific culture, known locally as “ava.”
The kava roots were processed by the chief’s daughter and filtered through a sieve made from the bark of a fau tree. As part of the ceremony, a Samoan man dramatically poured the drink, which was then offered to the king. Before sipping, Charles said, “May God bless this ava,” and the ceremony concluded with applause from the attendees.
Sitting next to him was Queen Camilla, who fanned herself to cope with the humid tropical weather.
Samoans are thrilled to welcome King Charles on his first visit to their island nation, which was once a British colony. After the ceremony, the royal couple visited the village of Moata’a, where Charles was formally made “Tui Taumeasina,” a title meaning high chief. According to local tradition, the area around Moata’a is believed to be the birthplace of coconuts.
Local chief Lenatai Victor Tamapua expressed excitement about the king’s visit, stating, “Everyone has taken to our heart and is looking forward to welcoming the king. We feel honoured that he has chosen to be welcomed here in our village. So as a gift, we would like to bestow him a title.”
Tamapua also intended to discuss climate change with the royal couple, highlighting the impact of rising tides on local mangroves, which are crucial for the community’s food supply. “The high tides are just chewing away on our reef and where the mangroves are,” he explained, adding that their community relies on these areas for mud crabs and fish.
King Charles is in Samoa to attend the Commonwealth heads of government meeting in Apia. This meeting will address the legacy of colonialism and its lasting effects. Commonwealth leaders are set to select a new secretary-general, nominated from an African nation, in accordance with the rotational policy for this position.
Candidates for the role have publicly called for reparations for slavery and colonialism. Joshua Setipa from Lesotho mentioned that potential resolutions could include innovative forms of compensation, such as climate financing. “We can find a solution that will begin to address some injustices of the past and put them in the context happening around us today,” he stated.
Climate change will be a key topic at the meeting, with Pacific nations like Tuvalu, Vanuatu, and Fiji supporting calls for a “fossil fuel non-proliferation treaty.” These nations are urging Australia, Britain, and Canada to take greater action to reduce emissions, as they have historically contributed over 60 percent of the Commonwealth’s fossil fuel emissions.
