Ditch the suit, Charles! Samoan PM urges King to dress down and embrace ‘island vibe’ on upcoming visit
- The Prime Minister of Samoa has asked all attendees at the CHOGM on October 21 to dress modestly
The king has been urged to drop the lawsuit and embrace an “island atmosphere” when he attends a Commonwealth meeting in Samoa next month.
It comes at a time when Samoa’s Prime Minister Fiame Naomia Mata’afa has asked all delegates attending the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) on October 21 to dress modestly.
The king may even return to Britain as island chief after a local mayor revealed plans to grant the monarch an honorary title.
It is understood the Prime Minister has been particularly ‘candid’ with Charles, who is known for his well-cut, tailored suits, as she tried to prepare her royal visitors for the occasion.
She told The Telegraph: “October is very hot in Samoa. We don’t really want people to wear suits and feel hot and uncomfortable.”
The Prime Minister wants people to feel “comfortable” in what they wear so that delegates can have a “good meeting”, the newspaper said.
The king has been urged to drop the lawsuit and embrace an “island atmosphere” when he attends a Commonwealth meeting in Samoa next month. Pictured: King Charles during a visit to the Iworkrama rainforest in South America in 2000
Pictured: Prince Charles during a visit to Papua New Guinea, wearing traditional costume
King Charles opts for double-breasted suits with wide lapels in navy blue or dark gray, often made by fashion industry experts including Anderson & Sheppard and Gieves & Hawkes.
In the summer months, the King typically switches to cream or beige tones and is rarely seen in anything other than a suit and tie.
He once said it was his royal duty to showcase British craftsmanship and tailoring during royal tours abroad.
He is expected to suit up for his upcoming visit to Australia and Samoa.
However, the king is known to embrace the local culture of his host country – and has even cut the cord on occasion.
In 2000, Charles was pictured wearing a headdress of hawk feathers and palm fronds while visiting the Iworkrama rainforest in South America.
In 1977, the then Prince of Wales was pictured wearing a full headdress as he became Indian Chief Red Crow of the Blackfeet nation during a visit to Alberta, Canada.
Pictured: Prince Charles in Guyana, South America, wearing garlands and a headdress of feathers and palm leaves
Pictured: Prince Charles is presented with a traditional wedding dress of blue velvet, embroidered with gold, during a trip to Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan in 1996
Pictured: Charles becomes Indian Chief Red Crow of the Blackfeet nation during a visit to Canada on July 1, 1977
The king wore a colorful tribal robe in honor of the Ashanti tribe in 1977 during a visit to Kumasi, Ghana.
And during a trip to Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan in 1996, he was presented with a traditional wedding dress of blue velvet, embroidered with gold.
Meanwhile, local mayor Tofaeono Atuaia Kititiona revealed that the monarch could leave Samoa with a new title.
He told the Samoan Observer: “Given the king’s imminent arrival, it is only appropriate that we grant him primarily a title befitting his status.”
He said the area where the king and queen will reside has its own traditional kings with the titles of ‘matai’ family heads passed down from generation to generation.
Mr Kititiona said his village was “very honoured” to host the King and Queen.