King Charles III got a front row view of Bermuda’s stunning natural beauty and ocean en route from Albuoy’s Point to the Royal Naval Dockyard this afternoon.

The king enjoyed a trip to the West End aboard the new JL Cecil Smith ferry during his first visit to the island as monarch.

Hundreds of people, ranging from babies to senior citizens, greeted the king with thunderous applause as his entourage pulled into Albouy’s Point shortly after 2pm.

The monarch greeted the executive committee of the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club, where he serves as patron, on the way to the ferry dock.

Two spectators, Laura Bardgett and Gail Andrade, are both British-born, but have lived in Bermuda for decades.

Ms Bardgett recalled when the former British monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, visited the island in 2009 to celebrate the 400th anniversary of English settlement in Bermuda.

She reflected: “I saw [Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh] up at Church Street and Par-la-Ville. She came around, we all left our offices and waved at her.”

Ms Bardgett and Ms Andrade first saw the King when his entourage drove past the Swizzle Inn last night, shortly after he arrived on the island.

Ms Andrade said: “We were both at quiz night, we kept coming out between rounds and were following the news on where he would be.”

Ms Andrade attended a garden party at Buckingham Palace, the British Monarch’s official residence in London, as a young woman.

She recalled: “My father was invited to a garden party, in those days, if you had an unmarried daughter over the age of 18, she got to go with you.

“My parents and I drove through the gates, walked through the palace and into the garden — that was quite surreal.”

Ms Bardgett said: “It’s not every day you get something like this going on, regardless of your affiliation, it’s a good time to come out and show some Bermuda pride.”

She was also excited to see Lieutenant-Colonel Johnny Thompson, popularly known as the “hot equerry”, who accompanies him at public events. An equerry is one of the King’s military aides.

Jan Shaw, another British-born Bermuda resident, also hoped to get a glimpse of royalty and recalled seeing Queen Elizabeth when she visited the island in 2009 and 1994.

She said: “Schoolchildren and I went to see her both times, so I just decided to come out and see King Charles.

“It’s easier to see monarchs here than in the UK, because you’re expecting to see them when they come here.”

The pomp and circumstance continued after the monarch departed the ferry dock, he waved to spectators who shouted “long live the king” along the harbour front.

Others cheered and proudly flew Union Jacks from boats in Hamilton Harbour and the Great Sound, including students aboard the training vessel Spirit of Bermuda and participants in the Endeavour programme.

The king received another warm welcome in Dockyard, where he greeted Olympians including Olympic and Commonwealth Games gold medal-winner Dame Flora Duffy and Commonwealth Games gold medallist and high jumper Clarence Nicky Saunders.

He chatted with several other people, including athletes representing Bermuda at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow and participants enrolled in the Spirit of Bermuda, Endeavour and Duke of Edinburgh Bermuda programmes.

The monarch was also entertained by Gombeys and briefly visited the National Museum of Bermuda before boarding a coastguard vessel and being taken back across the Great Sound to Spanish Point Boat Club.