A church in Bermuda has removed a photograph of King Charles and Princess Diana ahead of the monarch’s upcoming three-day tour.
A photograph of Charles from his 1982 visit to the British Overseas Territory, alongside Princess Diana, who was heavily pregnant with Prince William at the time, has been quietly removed from its display case at St Peter’s Church, the oldest Anglican church outside the UK.
Church leaders were concerned the image might cause the King discomfort, with Rev Thomas Nisbett telling The Mail: “We removed it recently.
“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.”
Princess Diana photograph ‘removed’ from church ahead of King Charles visit
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The display case now features a photograph from Charles’s first trip to Bermuda in 1970, when he opened Parliament.
Meanwhile, the church’s historic silver platter and chalice, presented by King William III and Queen Mary 329 years ago, have been buffed to perfection.
King Charles, 77, will touch down in Bermuda on Thursday for a three-day tour, arriving directly from his state visit to the United States, which commences tomorrow.
The Queen will not be joining her husband for the Caribbean leg of the trip. Camilla, who accompanies the monarch throughout the American visit, will instead fly back to Britain rather than continue to the tropical island.
King Charles visiting Bermuda in 1970
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Islanders have been thrown into a whirlwind of activity ahead of the royal arrival. Gardeners are working overtime to trim roadsides along the King’s route, whilst painters are sprucing up properties he will pass, and construction crews are racing to complete work at venues on his itinerary.
The island’s feral chicken population has also become a target ahead of the royal visit. Hunters have been dispatched to cull the wild fowl, whose nocturnal crowing could disturb the King’s sleep. The birds have plagued Bermuda since Hurricane Emily destroyed thousands of domestic coops in 1987.
“Feral chickens are all over the island,” says Mark Outerbridge, senior biodiversity officer for Bermuda’s Department of Environment. “We trap, sedate and euthanise the chickens. But even if we trap all of the feral chickens around Charles’s residence in Bermuda, he’s still likely to hear the crowing. There’s so many, I’m not sure we’ll ever be rid of them.”
In King’s Square in St George’s, workers have been clearing blocked drains to prevent any unfortunate overflow during royal speeches.
St Peter’s Church is the oldest Anglican church outside the UK
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“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,” one worker told the outlet.
Despite hopes for a smoother reception than his potentially fraught American engagement, the King may still face some uncomfortable encounters in Bermuda.
His schedule includes a meeting with Premier David Burt, who has publicly declared that independence is the “next step” for the territory and described British rule as “unacceptable in a modern democracy.”
The monarch will also attend an exhibition on the slave trade. While Charles has previously expressed his “personal sorrow” regarding slavery, he has not issued a formal apology.
An inside view of St Peter’s Church in the town of St George’s on St George’s Island, Bermuda
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Governor Andrew Murdoch has noted that anti-royal sentiment on the island has manifested “more of a kind of silence rather than protest,” with no significant demonstrations anticipated.
Security has been heightened for the visit, with police determined to avoid any repeat of an incident during Charles’s 1970 trip, when officers found a suspicious object in his bed that turned out to be spare bed legs.
At St Peter’s, the King will be offered a moment of quiet reflection. “He will be given the opportunity to pray, if he wishes,” says Rev Nisbett. “He is, after all, the Defender of the Faith.”