King Charles dances at Junkanoo parade in Nassau, opening Caribbean tour
King Charles III joined a traditional street parade in the Bahamas, the first stop on his nine-day Caribbean tour.
On Wednesday, October 28, King Charles III moved to the music of a Junkanoo parade in Nassau, the Bahamian capital, as performers in elaborate costumes and feathered headdresses marched through the streets. The king first watched the procession, then joined in and shook traditional cowbells in the Bahamas' national colours. Afterwards he met vendors and members of the public at market stalls, looking at handmade items including woven raffia baskets. Junkanoo is a long-running Bahamian festival featuring music, dance, costumes and street processions. It is traditionally held on Boxing Day and New Year's Day, with special performances staged for important occasions and visiting dignitaries. The visit is the king's first to the Bahamas since he became monarch in September 2022. The Bahamas, which gained independence from Britain on July 10, 1973, remains a Commonwealth realm with Charles as its head of state. The tour also includes Guyana and Antigua and Barbuda, where Queen Camilla is expected to join him for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting.