Downpour interrupts King Charles at Antigua independence parade

A sudden downpour interrupted King Charles and Queen Camilla’s appearance at Antigua and Barbuda’s 45th Independence Day parade, leaving the King waiting in the rain while Camilla was given an umbrella and moved toward covered seating. The ceremony took place at Sir Vivian Richards Stadium. As rain swept across the parade ground, Charles gestured toward aides and repeatedly asked where his umbrella was. An umbrella was eventually brought to him, and he continued with the official programme, including an inspection of the Guard of Honour. Charles later joked to Prime Minister Gaston Browne that he was growing watercress on his wet suit or trousers. The remark was recorded in a video posted by the royal family. Accounts of the parade describe the rain easing after a brief interruption, allowing celebrations to continue. One report attributed the delay in getting an umbrella to Antiguan protocol requiring people to remain still during the national anthem. That explanation was not independently established in the accounts of the incident. The rainstorm occurred during a royal visit that included Antigua and Barbuda’s independence celebrations and a Commonwealth leaders’ meeting....