King Charles is currently in the middle of his nine-day tour of the Caribbean, which includes the Bahamas, Guyana, and Antigua and Barbuda. During a visit to the Bahamas Boxing Academy, the monarch was confronted with coach Jermaine Gibson and pupil Sanai Miller, 12, both sporting T-shirts with the King on. The design showed Charles' head superimposed onto a boxer - complete with a golden crown.
“Ha!” said His Majesty when he clocked the shirts. “We made one for you, I had it made last night,” Jermaine told him, presenting him with one of his own. Charles giggled: “How generous." Afterwards, Jermaine told the press: “We gave him one of his own, he said it was really good.”
Fans loved seeing the light-hearted interaction, and when HELLO! shared the clip on social media. "Say what you want about Charles but he loves meeting people and is interested in what they do," wrote one, and: "He has definitely come out [of] is his shell," added another.
The dancing King
Wednesday was a busy day for the 77-year-old, who was also caught letting loose during a parade. The monarch, who was wearing a light-coloured suit and sunglasses, looked relaxed and happy as he shook a pair of maracas and danced through the streets of Nassau in the city's Junkanoo parade. "Good for him!" and "He is the absolute best," were among the comments when the video circulated online. He certainly embraced the fun of the event to the max.
The controversy in the Caribbean
As well as the fun moments, Charles has been sure to be serious and address the difficult topic of the slave trade. In his first speech after touching down, the monarch did address the issue, but fell short of an apology. He said: "Some of what is best in Bahamian culture today - the most joyful, the most hopeful, the most bright - was born out of darkness. It is only right that we should acknowledge the great suffering of the past," he said.
While there have been a few pockets of protesters with signs alongside His Majesty's appearances, and online calls for reparations relating to the slave trade, Royal Editor Emily Nash, who is on the ground, reports that His Majesty has been so well received in the Caribbean. She says that so far he hasn't "put a foot wrong". Sign up to HELLO! VIP for the full insider scoop on the landmark trip.
