The King was told “welcome home” as he arrived at a Garden Party at Government House in the Bahamas.
Charles arrived in the gardens by car and walked to stand in a marquee for a welcome prayer.
Laish Boyd, the Diocesan Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of The Bahamas and The Turks & Caicos Islands, led the congregation of officials with a prayer.
Bishop Boyd said: “Thank you for our cherished relationship with the United Kingdom, historically and in the present.
“We celebrate the good that this connection has brought to both of us over the centuries. And we recognise that there have been some not-so-good fruit for both of us.
“We thank you; we ask your blessing upon King Charles III, whom we welcome in Bahama land today. Upon his family and his country. Lord bless his time here. May it enrich him and us.”
Governor General, Dame Cynthia, spoke fondly of the King: “Your Majesty, may your reign be long” – as she turned to speak to him directly before realising doing so meant she was too far away from the microphone.
Continuing, she said: “I’m going to say that loud so you can hear me, Your Majesty, may your reign be long, blessed and marked by peace across the Commonwealth.
“Your Majesty, Sir, welcome home to the Bahamas.”
The governor general also said in her short remarks that she hopes his royal visit “further strengthens the enduring bonds of friendship between the Crown and the Bahamian people.”
He was then swamped by excited Bahamians as he made his way to complete a ceremonial planting of the national tree of The Bahamas, the Lignum Vitae, with young representatives from the Family Islands.
Each of them had brought soil from their island to be planted with the tree.
The King then slowly made his way through the hordes of crowds, as his security team struggled to keep the guests at a safe distance, spending some 20 minutes chatting and shaking hands.
Guests were chosen because they had made significant contributions through voluntary, public, community and charitable service.
