King Charles drinks narcotic kava tea in Samoan ‘high chief’ ceremony – live

Queen Camilla spent time with schoolchildren today during her visit to a Samoan village.

The royal family said in a post on X: “The aoga faifeau was one of the earliest primary education programmes in Samoa, and the country’s high literacy levels are often attributed to the scheme.

“In Moata’a Village, The Queen spent time with schoolchildren, as they sang songs and told Her Majesty more about what they have learnt recently.”

Reparations for the slave trade could be discussed as Commonwealth heads of government convene in Samoa for the leaders’ summit.

British prime minister Sir Keir Starmer touched down Samoa overnight on Thursday for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (Chogm).

The Commonwealth leaders are expected to agree plans to discuss reparations as they look at an agreement which could open up the conversation through a communique, the BBC reported.

It comes despite Downing Street previously claiming the issue would not be on the agenda.

Mr Starmer said ahead of travelling to the Pacific island: “On the question of which way we’re facing I think we should be facing forward,” he told reporters.

“I’ve talked to a lot of our Commonwealth colleagues in the Commonwealth family and they’re facing real challenges on things like climate in the here and now.”

While reparations are not formally on the agenda, conversations on the wording for a communique are possible.

The Polynesian country of Samoa is highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change including tropical cyclones and storm surges, flooding, and more severe and longer-lasting droughts like other Small Island Developing States.

Moata’a village was chosen to welcome the royals after the area was badly affected by flooding in 2018 and in response the community’s council developed a plan for future natural disasters and has established a mangrove conservation area which the King visited.

Moata’a village chief Tofaeono Lupati Fuatai said: “The King is the perfect advocate for us as a nation. Climate change is real, it is now and we must urge the world to acknowledge how perilous it is for nations such as ours.”

The fashion designers behind Diana, Princess of Wales’s wedding dress have settled a High Court claim over the sale of the drawings for the famous royal gown.

David Emanuel had filed a lawsuit against his ex-wife Elizabeth Emanuel, claiming that she had infringed his copyright by reproducing drawings of the designs on which they had collaborated. The drawings, including those for Diana’s wedding dress, were put up for auction without his consent, he said.

The one-time husband and wife team announced on Friday that they had settled the case “amicably.” Terms of the settlement weren’t released.

Mike Tindall, the late Queen’s grandson-in-law, says the Queen’s life “wasn’t like an episode of Downton Abbey”.

The world cup winning rugby union player, who is married to the Queen’s granddaughtr Zara Tindall, revealed what the Queen was like behind closed doors in his joint book ‘The Good, The Bad and The Rugby – Unleashed’, released alongside podcast co-hosts James Haskell and Alex Payne.

“I’m sometimes asked if the Queen did informality like ‘normal’ people, and the answer to that is yes,” Mr Tindall said.

“Her life wasn’t like an episode of Downton Abbey, with meals on long tables and everyone dressed in their finery every night, and Zara and I would often watch the racing with her on TV, as I’m sure lots of people reading this have done with their gran.

“Lunches were also relaxed, especially up in Scotland, where lunch would often be heading out into the open space of the Scottish Highlands for a picnic.

“There’s a great picture of my daughter Mia sitting with the Duke of Edinburgh that captures exactly what those afternoons were like: members of a very close family who loved each other dearly spending precious time together. Yes, there’s a lot of drama surrounding the royal family, but they aren’t much different to anyone else underneath it all,” he added.

Mike Tindall found himself in trouble after he joked about the royal family wanting to “fill Harry in”, podcast co-host James Haskell revealed.

Podcast hosts Tindall, Haskell, and Alex Payne have reelased a book called ‘The Good, the Bad & the Rugby – Unleashed’, in which Haskell revealed the awkward joke.

“[Mike] even got into a bit of trouble when he appeared on a live version of A Question of Sport: he told a story about him and Iain Balshaw pretending to punch Prince Harry at a post-World Cup final party in 2003 and joked that the royal family wanted to fill him in for real,” Mr Haskell explained.

“I say trouble but it was a bit of a minor kerfuffle, nothing to write home about.”

But the story came back into public consciousness when that “very odd bloke Omid Scobie started sticking up for Harry and Meghan,” Haskell wrote, according to the Mirror.

“Loads of trolls went in on Tins, especially about him wanting to fill in a young, defenceless Harry. All context, sarcasm and humour lost, when things are taken out of the zone they were meant to be in.”

Foreign secretary David Lammy has joined the King and Queen during their visit to Samoa, speaking of his mother’s adoration for the royal family.

“Growing up, my mother adored the Royal Family. Her late Majesty The Queen’s life of service exemplified the values that unite our country and society,” Mr Lammy wrote in a post on X.

“His Majesty The King continues that legacy of service. Honoured to accompany His Majesty for the first time on a State Visit.”

Mr Lammy will meet with his fellow foreign ministers in the Commonwealth, as they look to mobilise investment across the membership through the Investment Plan of Action.

He said in a statement: “Representing some of the world’s fastest growing economies, forging stronger ties with these markets is crucial for delivering jobs and economic growth.

“This government is reconnecting Britain in the world and building partnerships that will unlock greater prosperity for all.”