Photo: Chris Jackson / Getty Images
Shackles and a slave ship: Charles and Camilla at Antigua's museum
The day before the Commonwealth summit, King Charles and Queen Camilla saw objects from the era of slavery at the museum in Antigua's Government House. Afterwards they met volunteers, Girl Guides and young craftspeople from the King's Foundation.
King Charles and Queen Camilla spent Monday at Government House in the capital, St John's, the residence of the Governor-General of Antigua and Barbuda. There they toured the museum of the country's history, including objects from the era of slavery. It came the day before the King opens the Commonwealth summit, where slavery and Britain's role in the slave trade are expected to be a central theme.
The King and Queen were welcomed by the Governor-General, Sir Rodney Williams, and his wife, Dame Sandra Williams.
Shackles and a slave ship
The museum at Government House has recently been renovated. The King and Queen were shown around by Dr Reg Murphy, Secretary General of Antigua and Barbuda's National Commission for UNESCO, and the museum's curator, Dr Gabriella Howell.
One display case held shackles used on enslaved people and a conch shell blown to summon them to work and meetings. It also contained ceramic medallions made in support of the abolition of slavery, and an old parasol. "Is that an umbrella?" the King asked, the day after he was left standing in the rain at the Independence Day parade.
On the walls the exhibition told the story of sugar and slavery, of enslaved people on the sugar plantations and of the road to freedom. The Declaration of Emancipation from 1834 is also on display. The King stopped by a drawing of a slave ship, showing how enslaved people were packed together on the crossing from Africa to the Caribbean.
The King and Queen also saw three paintings by a local artist showing enslaved people plotting an escape before being caught. The artists were helped by two tutors from the Royal Drawing School, the art school the King founded in London. "Telling that story for us as Black Caribbean people, this story of how far we have come and battles we have fought," said Cuthbert Forbes, who showed them the paintings.
On their way out, the King and Queen walked past the former slave quarters at Government House, believed to be the oldest of their kind in the eastern Caribbean.
Harry Potter and an ancient board game
Afterwards there was a reception for charities, uniformed youth groups and education projects. Chef Nigel Joseph cooked the traditional dish fungee and pepper pot, while the Queen met young Brownies and Girl Guides taking part in a film workshop. "Do any of you watch Harry Potter?" she asked.
The Queen also stopped by players of Warri, an ancient board game brought from Africa by enslaved people. "May the best man win," she said. She also met Friends of the Care Project, which supports children and adults with autism and other disabilities. Ten-year-old Aiden Parks-Reed welcomed the couple with "Good morning your Majesties".
Built with traditional craft
The King and Queen unveiled a plaque at the main entrance to mark the restoration of Government House. The work began in 2017 and was completed this year.
At a new pavilion the King met eight young people who have trained in traditional building crafts with The King's Foundation, the King's own charity. They spent eight weeks in the UK, at Highgrove and Dumfries House, and then built the pavilion where visitors can wait. It is made of Greenheart wood from Guyana using traditional methods. "We build with concrete now, but this is what we used to do," said one of them, Kyla Weaver.
The King and Queen also visited Agave Gardens, where they met people selling local products. Finally, many lined up to shake hands as the couple left.