King Charles lands in Samoa for Commonwealth summit after Australia tour – live

The campaign, led by Australian billionaire Andrew Forrest’s Minderoo Foundation, features a confronting image of a child vomiting plastic, displayed prominently at Samoa’s Faleolo International Airport.

Timed to coincide with the British monarch’s arrival, the campaign pushes for a global plastics treaty to be placed on the meeting’s agenda, 9News reports.

“A global plastics treaty is not a nice-to-have – it is a need-to-have,” said Jay Weatherill, the foundation’s director.

He highlighted the health risks faced by the 2.5 billion citizens of Commonwealth nations, many of whom are under 30.

The Minderoo Foundation has been advocating for such a treaty for two years, warning that current strategies like recycling and reducing consumer demand are insufficient.

Preparations for the summit and the royal trip have been going on for months. Hotels have been renovated and roads and streets where the couple is expected to visit have been spruced up, reports my colleague Shweta Sharma.

Freddie Tuilagi made sure of that when he visited St James’ Palace recently wearing nothing but a bark cloth wrap and a necklace historically worn by orator chiefs.

Charles, in a blue suit and carefully knotted tie, grinned while gamely trying to follow along as Samoa’s honorary consul to the UK moved through the steps of a traditional dance.

“He loves it. He said he wants to learn the dance,” Tuilagi said afterward, showing off his moves once again.

Tuilagi, who moved to Britain to play professional rugby, said the 75-year-old king can expect more of the same when he arrives in the South Pacific Island nation on Wednesday.

Following its celebration of 50 years of self-government on Saturday, King Charles issued a congratulatory video.

Known informally as the Rock of Polynesia, Niue was settled by Samoans in 900AD and has a population of around 1,500.

Yet as Samoa hosts the 75th Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, where leaders and officials from 56 countries with roots in Britain’s empire are gathering in the Pacific for the first time, Niue, a realm of New Zealand, was not invited.

“There is no use being Commonwealth family yet we can’t attend these meetings. It’s a bit weird,” said prime minister Dalton Tagelagi in an interview.

“We have put through questions on how to become a member.”

The remote island, 635km (400 miles) south of Samoa, was sighted in 1774 by British explorer James Cook. He named it Savage Island, and Niue became a British Protectorate 126 years later.

The King and Queen have said they “can’t wait” to arrive in Samoa for a state visit and experience the “warmth” of the country’s ancient traditions.

Charles and Camilla ended their six-day tour of Australia and boarded a Royal Australian Air Force (Raaf) plane bound for the Polynesian nation.

Samoa’s prime minister Afioga Fiame Naomi Mataafa will be waiting to greet the royal couple when they step off their jet for the final leg of their overseas trip.

Soon after the Raaf plane took off the couple posted a message on social media under their names.

They said: “As we head towards Apia, we can’t wait to visit Samoa for the first time together and to experience the warmth of ancient traditions with your remarkable people. Feiloa’i ma le manuia!

– Charles R & Camilla R”

The tweet included a few words in Samoan loosely translated as “looking forward to meeting the Samoan people”.

One of the most light-hearted moments from the Australian royal tour saw an alpaca sneeze on King Charles III as he greeted crowds on a walkabout in Canberra.

Hefner was calmly waiting — wearing a crown and a gold bow tie — before leaving the King “in disbelief” with a sneeze after Charles stroked his nose.

Mr Fletcher said: “The King just looked in disbelief. But it’s just who Hefner is. He is an alpaca after all.

“He doesn’t bite and he doesn’t spit. He’s always on his best behaviour anyway.

“And he is a pro-monarchy alpaca.”

Esther Anatolitis, co-chair, said while thousands turned out to see Charles and Camilla at their public engagements, the numbers were larger when his mother Elizabeth first visited Australia 70 years ago.

An estimated 75 per cent of Australia’s population saw the queen in person during the first visit by a reigning British monarch in 1954.

“It’s understandable that Australians would be welcoming the king and queen, we also welcome them,” Ms Anatolitis said.

“But it doesn’t make any sense to continue to have a head of state appointed by birth right from another country.”

Ms Anatolitis acknowledged that getting Australians in a majority of states to vote to change the constitution would be difficult. Australians haven’t changed their constitution since 1977.

King Charles ends the first visit to Australia by a reigning British monarch in 13 years on Tuesday as anti-monarchists hope the debate surrounding his journey is a step toward an Australian citizen becoming head of state.

Charles and his wife, Queen Camilla, watched dancers perform at a Sydney Indigenous community center.

The couple used tongs to cook sausages at a community barbecue lunch at the central suburb of Parramatta and later shook the hands of well-wishers for the last time during their visit outside the Sydney Opera House. Their final engagement was an inspection of navy ships on Sydney Harbor in an event known as a fleet review.

Charles’s trip to Australia was scaled down because he is undergoing cancer treatment.

Indigenous activist Wayne Wharton, 60, was arrested outside the opera house yesterday afternoon before the royals greeted the crowd.