KING AND QUEEN RECEIVE A WARM WELCOME IN KENYA

King Charles and Queen Camilla enjoy the wonders of Nairobi on an emotional trip

King Charles and Queen Camilla’s four-day state visit to Kenya had it all – glamour, amusing moments and adorable animals. But one of the highlights was their visit to the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust where Queen Camilla fed an orphaned elephant calf, who loudly trumpeted his delight as he suckled on the bottle. They also met a baby rhino named Raha, whose name means “joy” in Swahili.

On their first long-haul tour since the new reign began, they travelled around Nairobi City, Mombasa County and other local areas, celebrating 60 years of Kenya’s independence.

For the King, it provided the perfect opportunity to address painful truths in a country which is already independent, avoiding the undercurrent of calls for reparations which were a distracting feature of the Prince and Princess of Wales’ Caribbean tour last year.

They were officially welcomed by President William Ruto and First Lady Rachel Ruto at the State House, Nairobi, and visited the Uhuru Gardens to view the Mũgomo Tree at the site of the declaration of Kenya’s independence in 1963. Separate engagements at Eastlands Library then followed. While the King turned his focus to the Prince’s Trust, the Queen indulged in her passion of championing literature by meeting the 2021 Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition winner, Kayla Bosire.