Bermuda buzzes with activity as it prepares for King Charles’s three-day visit starting Thursday. The 77-year-old monarch arrives after his U.S. State visit, with Queen Camilla skipping the island trip.
St. Peter’s Church Polishes Treasures, Removes Diana Photo
St. Peter’s Church, the oldest Anglican church outside Britain, gleams in readiness. Staff have polished a silver platter and chalice gifted by King William III and Queen Mary 329 years ago, dusted the ceremonial throne, burnished royal pews, painted walls, and washed windows for the Supreme Governor of the Church of England’s arrival on Friday.
One item from its 414-year history is absent: a large photo from Charles’s 1982 visit, showing him with a heavily pregnant Princess Diana. Church leaders removed it to avoid potential discomfort. “We removed it recently,” says Rev. Thomas Nisbett, 67. “The ladies of the church thought it would be more sensitive if that reminder of the past wasn’t there. And one doesn’t argue with the ladies of the church.”
The display case now features a photo of Charles opening Parliament during his 1970 visit to the island.
Island-Wide Cleanup Targets Feral Chickens and Sewers
Islanders tackle unique challenges to ensure a smooth royal stay. Gardeners trim roadsides along the King’s route, painters refresh buildings, and builders rush to complete sites. Hunters cull feral chickens, whose crowing could disrupt sleep, despite the eco-conscious monarch’s preferences.
Since Hurricane Emily destroyed coops in 1987, wild chickens have overrun the island. “Feral chickens are all over the island,” notes Mark Outerbridge, senior biodiversity officer for Bermuda’s Department of Environment. “They’re a problem for farmers, eating crops and fruit. And there’s the noise issue with loud roosters that crow all through the night. We trap, sedate and euthanize the chickens. But even if we trap all of the feral chickens around Charles’s residence, he’s still likely to hear the crowing. There’s so many I’m not sure we’ll ever be rid of them.”
In St. George’s King’s Square, workers unclog sewers to prevent odors. “I hope the King is happy!” says one as he clears grease from a manhole. “It’s not like Charles will be inspecting our sewers, but it wouldn’t be good if they overflowed when he’s giving a speech. Sewage everywhere! It’s disgusting in there. The sewage was blocked, completely clogged, and on hot days can really smell. They don’t want that with King Charles coming.”
Taxi driver Mark Steede gripes: “Why do they have to do this clean-up for King Charles during the day, block traffic and make a mess of the roads? There’s giant sanitation trucks blocking the streets. It’s not like Charles is going to say: ‘Can I take a look at your sewers?'” Entrepreneur Hunter Pitcher adds: “They’re cleaning up every street where Charles is going to be driven. Every hedge and lawn and tree is being manicured. The rest of the island – not so much.”
Royal Itinerary and Potential Tensions
At Great Bay Coast Guard Station, workers finalize parking and tech for the official opening. “Charles can come, but I don’t know that we’ll have the station operating by then,” admits one.
The King meets UK Space Agency scientists about a planned space telescope, likely near the NASA tracking station on Cooper’s Island. “The electronic gate outside the NASA station used to be broken, but now the King’s coming it’s working again,” says Hunter Pitcher. “Thank you King Charles! Long live the King!”
Charles faces discussions with Premier David Burt, who views independence as Bermuda’s “next step” and British rule as “unacceptable in a modern democracy.” Governor Andrew Murdoch notes anti-royal sentiment remains “more of a kind of silence rather than protest.” A senior police officer confirms heightened security, recalling a 1970 incident where a suspicious bed object proved to be spare legs.
The itinerary includes a slave trade exhibition, where Charles has voiced “personal sorrow” over slavery without an official apology. Lawyer and historian Cheryl Packwood states: “The least the King can do is apologise for slavery. The monarchy had slaves, supported slavery and signed all the legislation regarding slavery.”
Other engagements cover politicians, environmental students, youth groups, and Commonwealth Games athletes. At St. Peter’s, Rev. Nisbett offers: “He will be given the opportunity to pray, if he wishes. He is, after all, the Defender of the Faith.”
