Stilts and Steel Drums! Prince Charles and Camilla Celebrate Return of Carnival After COVID Cancelations
Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall are getting a taste of Carnival!
The royal couple stepped out at an event on Wednesday in celebration of next month's Notting Hill Carnival, which is making its return after being canceled in 2020 and 2021 amid the COVID-19 pandemic. London's celebration of Caribbean and Black culture, which started in 1966, is second only to Brazil's Rio Carnival in size.
Prince Charles, 73, was photographed trying out the steel drums — but quipped, "I'm not much cop at this," according to ITV — and reaching up to shake hands with performers on stilts after marveling at their height.
"Hello up there," Charles said, according to The Telegraph.
Ian Vogler - WPA Pool/Getty Prince Charles
Camilla, who will celebrate her 75th birthday on Sunday, carried a fan amid the U.K. heatwave.
"If it had been cooler, we could have had a jolly good dance," she said, according to ITV.
Celebrating the return of Notting Hill Carnival! 💃🏽🎶
This August will be the first time @NHCarnivalLDN has been held since 2019, due to the pandemic. pic.twitter.com/wzgGCNCSWs— The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall (@ClarenceHouse) July 13, 2022
Sisters Natalie and Claire Johnson greeted Prince Charles and Camilla while wearing colorful costumes and headdresses.
"For me, it's the heritage," she told ITV. "I'm just so proud of it and the culture, the representation, the way that we can just be — and be proud — and the party vibe and the community spirit."
Ian Vogler - WPA Pool/Getty Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall and Prince Charles
Allyson Williams, a director of the carnival's board, told The Telegraph: "Everyone is excited about the return of the carnival. Camilla told me she came to Notting Hill Carnival many years ago. I hope they both come back one day."
Ian Vogler - WPA Pool/Getty Prince Charles
Prince Charles has previously praised the "immeasurable" contribution to British society made by the Windrush generation, the nearly half a million people who moved from the Caribbean to U.K. when the nation faced severe labor shortages in the wake of World War II.
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Ian Vogler - WPA Pool/Getty Prince Charles
Prince William and Kate Middleton faced controversy when they visited Belize, Jamaica and The Bahamas earlier this year. The tour saw protests over colonialism and calls to drop Queen Elizabeth as head of state.
Speaking on Windrush Day this year, William said, "Our trip was an opportunity to reflect, and we learnt so much. Not just about the different issues that matter most to the people of the region, but also how the past weighs heavily on the present."
