King Charles Asks Where the Umbrella Is as Downpour Hits Antigua Celebrations

King Charles and Queen Camilla were caught in a sudden, heavy downpour as they arrived at Antigua and Barbuda's 45th independence anniversary celebrations. The Caribbean island nation has been independent since 1981.

The rain fell at the Sir Vivian Richards cricket stadium, where the royal couple were arriving. Hello! magazine reported that the King repeatedly asked "Where's the umbrella?" and threw up his arms as the water came down.

The Queen was handed a clear, dome-shaped umbrella. She walked toward nearby royal seating, holding it overhead as she stepped off a small red-carpeted platform with a uniformed officer beside her. The King stayed standing in the rain.

Both were soaked. The King joked that he was "growing watercress on my trousers", a reference to the leafy salad plant that thrives in wet ground, according to the same magazine report.

An umbrella was eventually found and handed to the King, and the ceremony could begin. Troops lined up on the cricket pitch had become a parade ground. The King inspected service personnel who were sheltering under his umbrella as he walked along the line.

The King wore a beige suit for the parade appearance. The Queen wore a white chiffon dress with gold embroidery by the British designer Anna Valentine.

The visit is part of a nine-day tour of three countries, Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas and Guyana, according to the BBC. Commonwealth leaders, the group of mostly former British territories that meets regularly, are due to gather in Antigua from 1 November. Earlier, Reuters reported that the King has spoken of sorrow over slavery, as calls for reparations in the Caribbean have grown.

For the people who lined the route, the morning's rain was the main talking point. The ceremony went ahead after the umbrella was found, and the parade itself was held in the wet.