King Charles Is Handed a Rum Welcome in Guyana

King Charles, 77, was offered a glass of "Royal Welcome" limited edition 2026 rum at the start of his two-day visit to Guyana. The rum is made by Banks DIH, a Guyanese producer, and it was presented to him as a tribute. Hello magazine reported the exchange that followed.

Before he tried it, the King asked the people standing near him a question: "Do you drink this? Endless rum punches at the end of the day?" After smelling and tasting the rum, he gave his verdict in two words: "Very good."

Guyana's President, Mohamed Irfaan Ali, encouraged him to finish the glass. "You've just got to drink it down!" the President said. The King replied, "It won't last long," and took another sip.

Hello reported that the King then turned to a member of his staff and appeared to say, "I can't drink it." He turned back to his hosts with a more diplomatic line: "That's very kind. Somebody else will have to finish it!" He also called rum "a great pick-me-up, as my grandmother used to say."

Gregory Garraway, a executive at the Banks DIH rum plant, said the bottle was more than 20 years old. He described the gift as a way to give the King something real to try. "We wanted the King's visit to be something he could actually taste," Mr Garraway said.

The visit opened with a cultural evening hosted by President Ali, held after the two men had held talks. Guests included the pop star Eddy Grant and the former justice secretary David Lammy.

The Guyana stop is part of a wider trip. Reuters reported in August that the King and Queen Camilla would make a week-long tour of Caribbean nations in 2026, including a visit to Antigua and Barbuda.

For the people at the reception, the moment was a light one. The King's aside about his guests finishing the drink was the line most often repeated, and it got a laugh from the room.