Mixed views on first visit as sovereign by King Charles III
Members of the public shared views ranging from excitement to shrugs at the imminent visit and tour of the island by King Charles III.
The Royal Gazette took to the streets this week to see how people felt about the royal visit tomorrow.
Jon Boileau Goad said he looked forward to the arrival of the King, seeing it as being good for tourism and Bermuda’s “position on the planet”.
He said a “friendly country” such as Bermuda was the perfect place for “someone who needs a bit of time to relax”, such as the monarch, to visit.
Mr Goad added: “I think, of all the countries in the world, this is probably the country to visit to chill out.
“I’d like more people to see this place because it’s wonderful.
“It’s a beautiful island with very nice people here. Everywhere we’ve been, we’ve been looked after.”
Mr Goad said he had seen plenty of royal visits, from Queen Elizabeth II to meeting Prince Philip.
He added: “I think the monarchy for us provides continuity, regardless of politicians.”
Edith Caines said she was excited to see the next generation of the Royal Family make themselves known.
“It’s exciting,” she added. “It’s something different that we don’t get to see every day.”
Ms Caines remembered being “quite much younger” the first time she saw Queen Elizabeth II visit the island.
Visits such as these, she said, helped to foster good relations between Britain and Bermuda.
Carl Vincent added to this, saying the event would underscore Bermuda’s ties to Britain and help to “put two and two together”.
He explained: “We all feel a part of the same kingdom, so it would be nice to see the representation here as well as in London.”
Mr Vincent said he had never seen a royal visit before, much less one from the King.
He added that he looked forward to seeing “all the royalists come out and appreciate the occasion”.
King’s Square in St George will be closed between 7am and noon tomorrow for the King’s visit.
Likewise, the Bermuda Aquarium, Museum and Zoo will be closed that day until 2pm during King Charles’s tour.
The public can observe his visit from the parking lot across from BAMZ, with parking on offer at Flatts Cricket Field.
Road restrictions and temporary traffic controls are further expected for parts of Hamilton, St George’s and Dockyard during the royal tour.
Updates will be given on the Government’s official royal visit webpage.
Meanwhile, the Bermuda Post Office introduced a limited-edition overprint stamp to commemorate the occasion.
The $35 stamp serves as both functional postage and a collector’s item.
Orders may be prepaid for collection or mailing on the day of issue at the BPO and all sub-post offices.
Freya Benedict said the visit could help to unify the island.
She said: “I think people are excited. They’ve definitely done a lot with the roads and the maintenance, so I think that’s good.”
Ms Benedict admitted that the visit would not have any impact on her, and doubted she would be able to see the King.
However, she added that she anticipated plenty of excitement and perhaps even an economic boost from the visit.
Chris Faria said he was “not fazed” by the royal visit and described the attention as “misplaced energy”.
He explained that, with Bermuda facing rampant food poverty and housing insecurity, “we don’t need a king, we need reparations for Bermuda families”.
“Where is the humanity and the attention that’s needed from the Royal Family to that?” Mr Faria added. “That’s how the King should be showing up, by coming to Bermuda and coming to do some work.”
He said the visit could help to bring attention to some unresolved social problems on the island that came from colonialism.
Mr Faria said: “Unfortunately, we’re distracted by a royal visit when really we should be asking this monarchy to take care of the Bermuda families that have been underserved since the island has been established.”
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