Moment King Charles nearly takes a tumble as he trips on artificial grass (before smoothly putting on his sunglasses as he keeps calm and carries on) during visit to Kenya with Queen Camilla
King Charles nearly took a tumble today as he tripped on a roll of artificial grass during his visit to Kenya with Queen Camilla.
The royal couple were visiting the Commonwealth War Graves Commission’s Kariokor cemetery in Nairobi when the incident took place this morning.
Charles, 74, was being guided from one artificial grass walkway to another when he caught a foot under one of the mats.
Footage shows the monarch briefly losing his footing as Camilla, 76, reaches out to grab hold of him. He quickly rights himself and smoothly puts on his sunglasses to continue the walk.
Shortly afterwards, the King and Queen took part in an act of remembrance alongside British and Kenyan troops. Charles was seen looking down as he crossed the same divide between the two mats to ensure he didn’t trip again.
King Charles nearly took a tumble during his visit to Kenya today as he tripped on a roll of artificial grass during a trip to a cemetery
Charles and Camilla were visiting the Kariokor Commonwealth War graves cemetery in Nairobi
The King greets veteran Samwel Nthigai Mburia, who is believed to be 117 years old
King Charles pays his respects after laying a wreath at a memorial cross inside the cemetery
Last night, Charles told the Kenyan people of his ‘greatest sorrow and deepest regret’ at Britain’s ‘abhorrent and unjustifiable acts of violence’ during the Colonial era.
In a keynote speech that went far further than many expected amid calls for an apology over government abuses under his late mother’s reign, King Charles said there was ‘no excuse’ for British ‘wrongdoings’ in the East African nation, particularly against the Mau Mau rebellion.
Speaking at a state banquet in Nairobi, he told the Kenyan President and 350 guests: ‘It is the intimacy of our shared history that has brought our people together. However, we must also acknowledge the most painful times of our long and complex relationship.
READ MORE – Inside Charles and Camilla’s state dinner: King and Queen enjoyed lobster ravoli and salmon with Champagne as part of eight-course feast
‘The wrongdoings of the past are a cause of the greatest sorrow and the deepest regret.
There were abhorrent and unjustifiable acts of violence committed against Kenyans as they waged, as you said at the United Nations, a painful struggle for independence and sovereignty – and for that, there can be no excuse.’
Charles continued: ‘In coming back to Kenya, it matters greatly to me that I should deepen my own understanding of these wrongs, and that I meet some of those whose lives and communities were so grievously affected.
‘None of this can change the past. But by addressing our history with honesty and openness we can, perhaps, demonstrate the strength of our friendship today. And, in so doing, we can, I hope, continue to build an ever-closer bond for the years ahead.’
The King stopped short of a direct apology, which carries greater legal culpability, because it is not British government policy to do so.
His words came as President Ruto made an even more strongly-worded address – and hinted at further demands for reparations.
He said Britain and Kenya could not ‘live in denial of history’ and highlighted the ‘displacement, dispossession and disenfranchisement of native Africans, paving the way for a brutal colonialism’.
Last night, Charles expressed his ‘greatest sorrow and deepest regret’ for atrocities suffered by Kenyans during their struggle for independence from British colonial rule
But he stopped short of making a full apology called for by survivors of that period and local rights groups who are pressing for reparations from the British government
King Charles leaves the podium after delivering a speech during the State Banquet
President William Ruto praised Charles for his courage and readiness ‘to shed light on uncomfortable truths that reside in the darker regions of our shared experience’
Mwangi Macharia, the head of the African Centre for Corrective and Preventive Action, a human rights group, said Britain should follow the example set by Germany, which has apologised for its abuses in Namibia, and agreed to fund projects worth over a billion euros
Charles and Camilla share a toast with other attendees at the State Banquet
Queen Camilla cracks a smile as she attends the State Banquet hosted by President Ruto at State House
Charles speaks to Kenyan First Lady Rachel Ruto during the State Banquet
King Charles pictured sitting at the table ahead of the banquet, along with distinguished guests from Kenya and the United Kingdom
King Charles looks on as he sits at the dinner table while attending the State Banquet hosted by Kenyan President Ruto at the State House in Nairobi
Charles shares a toast with other guests at the State Banquet this evening
A general view of guests at a State Banquet hosted by President Ruto at the State House
Staff prepare for a State Banquet hosted by President Ruto at State House for distinguished guests including Foreign Minister James Cleverley and his wife
The president described British attempts to put down the Kenyan people’s fight for independence as ‘monstrous in its cruelty’ and made clear that he felt the £20 million so far paid out by Britain in compensation to victims of torture and repression as inadequate.
‘While there have been efforts to atone for the death, injury and suffering inflicted on Kenyan Africans by the colonial government, much remains to be done in order to achieve full reparations,’ he said.
But he praised the King for his ‘visionary leadership’ on the issue, saying: ‘Your exemplary courage and readiness to shed light on uncomfortable truths that reside in the darker regions of our shared experience are….commendable.
‘This is a highly encouraging first step, under your leadership, to deliver progress beyond tentative and equivocal half measures of past years.
‘We are therefore confident that, under your visionary leadership, the Kenya-United Kingdom relations will continue to prosper for the benefit of our two countries and peoples. ‘
The King endeared himself to his audience by using several phrases of Swahili and his pronunciation was described as ‘impeccable’.
He highlighted the ‘special meaning’ Kenya has for his family, not least his late mother, not least because it is where she found out she was Queen.
But he also sweetly mentioned the Prince and Princess of Wales, saying: ‘It was here, in sight of Mount Kenya, that my son, The Prince of Wales, proposed to his wife, now my beloved daughter-in-law.’
He concluded on a positive note, saying in Swahili: ‘ Umoja ninguvu’, Unity is Strength.
Mwangi Macharia, the head of the African Centre for Corrective and Preventive Action, a human rights group, said Britain should follow the example set by Germany, which has apologised for its abuses in Namibia, and agreed to fund projects worth over a billion euros.
Nandi King Koitalel Arap Samoei led a decade-long rebellion until he was killed by a British colonel in 1905. In the ensuing years, the British confiscated most of his people’s land and cattle.
Samoei’s great-grandson Kipchoge araap Chomu credited the British with contributions to Kenya like education and public health systems but said historical injustices must be remedied.
‘We have to demand public apology from the government of the British,’ he told Reuters. ‘After apologies, we also expect a reparation.’
King Charles III and Queen Camilla are greeted by President of the Republic of Kenya, William Ruto, and the First Lady of the Republic of Kenya, Rachel Ruto as they arrive at the State Banquet hosted by President Ruto at State House
Queen Camilla shakes the hand of the First Lady of the Republic of Kenya, Rachel Ruto ahead of the glittering state banquet last night
Queen Camilla looked elegant in a blue tunic top and palazzo-style trousers by one of her favourite designers, Anna Valentine. She also sported a diamond elephant bracelet and a necklace belonged to her adored grandmother by Van Cleef & Arpels
The king wore a lounge suit as the dress code was not black tie
Standing with the magnificent backdrop of State House behind them, lit up for the occasion, they then walked down a red carpet
The King and Queen were greeted with the sounds of a Ma traditional dance troop from Narok, who greeted them with a ceremonial dance of celebration
A police band performs at ahead of the banquet at the State House during Charles and Camilla’s visit to Kenya
King Charles and Queen Camilla are hosted by Kenya’s President William Ruto as they arrive to attend the banquet
A Ma traditional dance troop from Narok greeted the King and Queen at the State House with a ceremonial dance of celebration
One of the troup members can be seen jumping in the air as the King and Queen walked past
Their Majesties had been greeted at State House by a Ma traditional dance troop from Narok who greeted them with a ceremonial dance of celebration.
Queen Camilla looked elegant in a blue tunic top and palazzo-style trousers by one of her favourite designers, Anna Valentine.
She also sported a diamond elephant bracelet and a necklace belonged to her adored grandmother by Van Cleef & Arpels.
The king, who wore a lounge suit as the dress code was not black tie, posed for photographs with his wife and their hosts, President William Ruth of Kenya and First Lady, Rachel Ruto.
Standing with the magnificent backdrop of State House behind them, lit up for the occasion, they then walked down a red carpet.
The couple dined on a lavish eight-course menu:
*Beetroot and goat cheese foam with hazelnut crumble
*Cream of roasted butternut, chestnut and truffle soup
*Malindi lobster and seared seafood ravioli flavoured bisque
*Watercress and stilton salad with candied apples and walnuts
*Palate cleanser: lemon and raspberry sorbet
*Pan-seared salmon with Champagne beurre blanc
*Beef Wellington, chateau potatoes and minted asparagus (with chicken Wellington for the high table)
*Dessert symphony: A visually stunning dessert platter with miniature portions of Kenyan and British inspired honey cake, carrot and walnut square, earl grey tea crumble and sarova chocolate cake
*Petit fours and coffee (including chocolate truffles and macaroons, with Kenyan coffee or tea)
Among the guests were Foreign Minister James Cleverley and his wife.
Earlier in the day Charles and Camilla also paid tribute to Mau Mau fighters and others who took part in the long struggle for Kenyan independence by pausing at statues of two freedom fighters at the Mashujaa Museum.
They also viewed the Mugomo tree at Nairobi’s Uhuru Gardens, which was planted to mark the moment of Kenyan independence was declared by taking down the Union Flag 60 years ago next month.
Accompanied by his wife wearing a cream Anna Valentine dress and a diamond oyster brooch belonging to Queen Elizabeth, His Majesty also laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior.
But there were lighter moments, however, including a warmly received first walkabout and visits to a local library and culture hub on the first day of their four-day visit.
The royal couple met local children, including groups taking part in a The Prince’s Trust International Enterprise Challenge. Charles also visited entrepreneurs during a visit to a Tech and Innovation showcase in the Kenyan capital, where he also admired a portrait of his wife Queen Camilla.
He looked excited as he walked a large patch of land behind Mama Lucy Kibaki Hospital that has been transformed in just 12 months into a thriving organic holding, producing a wide range of vegetables and herbs and also chickens, with two ponds to raise fish, and snails.
King Charles III views giant African land snails from the aquaponics greenhouse at an urban farm yesterday
King Charles III holds some veg and speaks to a group of nutrition, health and science experts at a Kenyan urban farm project – City Shamba
Charles picked produce and then handed it to hospital chefs
King Charles speaks to an entrepreneur during a visit to a Tech and Innovation showcase at Nairobi Garage after spotting a portrait of his wife
King Charles III poses with young people taking part in a Prince’s Trust International Enterprise Challenge in Nairobi yesterday as the royal tour of Kenya got underway
Kenya’s first lady Rachel Ruto, president William Ruto, King Charles III and Queen Camilla view the Mugomo Tree, the spot where the Kenyan flag was first raised after independence in 1963
Citizens gather on the streets to welcome King Charles III and Queen Camilla in Nairobi yesterday
King Charles attends a wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior on their state visit to Kenya at the Uhuru Gardens in Nairobi
The symbolic moment came as the King and Queen began the first full day of their four-day trip
Charles appeared to close his eyes in prayer during a symbolic moment for the King and Kenya
The King lays his wreath before going to view Kenya’s celebrated Mugomo Tree
King Charles III arrives at the State House in Nairobi on day one of the state visit
King Charles inspects ceremonial guards during the official welcoming ceremony upon his arrival to Nairobi yesterday
King Charles and President William Ruto at the official reception, flanked by guards
King Charles III laughs with the president of Kenya, Dr William Ruto, and First Lady of Kenya Rachel Ruto during a visit to Uhuru Gardens
Hospital chef Nelly Njagi, who was handed a basket of vegetables leaves with the final few picked by the King, said afterwards: ‘He asked if this was for the patients and I told him it was. Having this organic food available is very good for their recovery.’
The King was also shown a selection of large African land snails bred by staff at the farm and laughed when told by Gregory Kimani, City Shamba’s founder and chief executive officer, the slime is used by the beauty industry for women’s facial products.
Charles marvelled at the larvae of black soldier flies used to turn vegetable waste into fertiliser, and seemed impressed by the farm’s use of natural pesticides, including rabbit urine, and vertical planting.
For a brief moment, he popped into a polytunnel where roasting temperatures are helping to ripen tomatoes.
Mr Kimani said after the royal visit: ‘Taking the King around the farm means that our idea is something that can go out there and it can be accepted anywhere by anyone. So we are very much glad for the validation of the idea.
‘Growing our crops organically was a huge thing for him, he really liked the idea of how we are growing things and really taking back control of our own food system.’
Earlier the King laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior at Uhuru Gardens on the outskirts of Nairobi on a trip dominated by Kenya’s colonial past.
Charles, who has been accompanied by Queen Camilla, then walked to the Mugomo Tree. The fig tree marks the spot where, on the night of December 12, 1963, Kenya celebrated its independence by lowering the Union Flag and raising the flag of Kenya. It is viewed as modern Kenya’s birthplace.
The King and Queen were told how a fig tree planted to mark the moment Kenyan independence was declared was considered a shrine and a ‘memory’ of the country’s turbulent history.
They were also warned that no one must take cuttings from it, and those who did were struck by lightning and died.
Their Majesties visited Nairobi’s Uhuru Gardens, where the King unveiled a plaque and laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior.
The couple then viewed the Mugomo Tree, planted on the day Kenya declared its independence. Uhuru, in Kiswahili, means ‘freedom’.
The King and Queen listened intently as Samson Malaki, curator at the nearby Mashujaa Museum, which tells the story of Kenya’s history, explained the tree’s significance.
‘It is a tree that marks our history,’ he said. ‘This tree is not just a historic landmark, but it is a shrine.
‘This country was planted as a result of what we went through as a country, as a memory, as far as this country is concerned.’
King Charles III in shades at Uhuru Gardens, Nairobi, on day one of the State Visit to Kenya
Queen Camilla, King Charles III, President of Kenya, Dr William Ruto, and First Lady of Kenya Rachel Ruto pose for a photograph in front of the Mugomo Tree
King Charles III meets members of the local community following a wreath laying ceremony at the tomb of the Unknown Warrior
Ceremonial Guards are seen as King Charles III and Queen Consort Camilla are welcomed by Kenyan President William Ruto
Charles later visited Eastlands Library in Nairobi
Camilla accompanied Charles on the visit to the Eastlands Library in Kenya’s capital
The couple met local children inside. They are participants of the Prince’s Trust International (PTI) Enterprise Challenge
Britain’s King Charles meets secondary school pupils during his visit to the library
Queen Camilla greeting children, during her visit to Eastlands Library, with King Charles III
Queen Camilla gets a tour of a Kenyan charity helping with literacy
Camilla reads Lion and Mouse to local children
Queen Camilla speaks with founders of Book Bunk, a charity that restores public libraries
President of Kenya, Dr William Ruto (C) walks with King Charles III as they visit a new museum dedicated to Kenya’s history
King Charles III during a bilateral meeting with President of Kenya, Dr William Ruto, at the President’s Office in the State House
Foreign Secretary James Cleverly with his wife Susannah at Uhuru Gardens during the visit
He told royal visitors that various Kenyan communities made pilgrimages to the tree to carry out cultural practices under its branches, including the offering of animal sacrifices, prayers and blessings.
He told them the tree was almost 59 years old but should live for up to 300 years, and will therefore be seen by many generations to come.
The royal visitors were told it was considered a shrine because when branches were once cut off it, the perpetrators were struck by lightning. Mr Malaki said no one was allowed to take cuttings from the tree and it must die naturally.
The King appeared fascinated by the tree and asked if it bore fruit.
Earlier, Their Majesties were greeted by Kenya’s president William Ruto and his wife, First Lady Rachel Ruto, on arrival at the gardens.
They stood for the national anthems of both the UK and Kenya, played by the Kenya Defence Forces Band.
Charles then pulled on a flag to unveil a plaque marking the occasion of their visit.
King Charles III smiles as he arrives with Queen Camilla for their separate engagements inside Eastlands Library
King Charles III and Queen Camilla, President of the Republic of Kenya, William Ruto, and the First Lady of the Republic of Kenya, Rachel Ruto walk beside the house of Jomo Kenyatta, Kenya’s first president
Charles III and Queen Camilla visit Uhuru Gardens in Nairobi, Kenya
The royal couple during a visit to the Mashujaa Museum in Uhuru Gardens
King Charles shakes hands with Will Straw, chief executive of Princes Trust International
Charles meets participants of the Prince’s Trust International (PTI) Enterprise Challenge
King Charles III poses with pupils during his visit to Eastlands Library with Queen Camilla
Young students look at a computer monitor ahead of the arrival of King Charles III
The King and President Ruto walked along the red carpet towards the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior.
As they approached the memorial, they paused and stood in solemn silence as the Last Post was played.
The King then stepped forward to aid the laying of a large wreath by two female soldiers on his behalf.
He touched it before taking a step back and pausing briefly to reflect before President Ruto did the same.
The King and Queen did a brief walkabout, greeting military families who had lined up to meet them. As they shook hands, Charles referred to the inclement weather as he said: ‘Don’t get too wet!’
Earlier his Majesty held a bilateral meeting with the president, while his wife was shown a gallery of images by the First Lady and told about the work of MaMa Doing Good, the socio-economic development organisation she founded in 1997 to help women, youth and vulnerable people in Kenya.
Charles and Camilla were greeted by Mr Ruto and his wife at the State House in Nairobi.
While the King was smart in a lounge suit, Queen Camilla was elegant in a white crepe silk Anna Valentine dress and a diamond oyster brooch that once belonged to the late Queen Elizabeth II.
Before the formalities began, the foursome posed for a picture for the waiting press with the president’s official residence as a backdrop.
The King later joined Mr Ruto on a dais as a nearby Guard of Honour, formed in two rows, gave a royal salute and both the UK and Kenya’s national anthems were played followed by a 21-gun salute.
Charles inspected the troops, walking past the soldiers in their red tunics and peaked caps.
A teenage Kenyan girl made King Charles laugh yesterday when she told him that a computer game for would-be entrepreneurs had given them the ultimate networking opportunity – by allowing them to meet the King.
She was among a group of children from deprived rural areas who have been helped by a project co-run by Charles’s charity Prince’s Trust International (PTI).
King Charles sniffs herbs grown at an urban farm at the Mama Lucy Kibaki Hospital in Nairobi
King Charles III meets people during his visit to the City Shamba urban farm project
City Shamba serves as a model farm and information centre for the local community, and provides food to the hospital
City Shamba, the Nairobi hospital’s urban farming project, demonstrates how food production can be carried out in densely populated urban spaces through regenerative agricultural practice and use of recycled materials
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