AFTER a 19-year wait to welcome a reigning monarch to these shores, it was going to take more than a little bit of rain to dampen Islanders’ spirits.
To be fair, it was more than a little bit of rain that book-ended the whistlestop tour by King Charles III and Queen Camilla yesterday.
The heavens opened just as the royal limo pulled into the Royal Square at around 1.30pm, and although umbrellas were soon furled as the squall headed away, they were needed again later.
One minute the King and Queen had been chatting to Islanders over Battenberg cake and roast beef (or tofu) sandwiches at the Pomme d’Or; the next they emerged to glowering skies.
A sprinkle quickly became a deluge as the royal couple mounted a dais to witness a march-past by members of the blue-light services, as well as Scouts, Guides and members of other organisations.
At least “KC” had a roof over his head, but the “Sunshine Band” took the full force, as did the increasingly bedraggled participants. Most of them remembered the “eyes right” order and smiled as they passed the VIP guests, but for a few the conditions were too much, with some long faces and even a teardrop or two to mix with the rain.
“Be prepared” is meant to be the Scout motto, but in fact it was a pack of Brownies who seemed best-equipped, sporting practical light blue ponchos that offered a bit of protection.
In between the two spells of rain, the visit included a packed itinerary, carried out in warm, bright conditions that even had a few people reaching for sun cream during the Jersey Expo at the Weighbridge.
The Expo managed to showcase a wide cross-section of what the Island has to offer in terms of agriculture, craft, fisheries and commitment to the environment – definitely issues close to the King’s heart.
Doug Richardson of the Jersey Farmers Union was impressed by the monarch’s knowledge of how seaweed imparted flavour to Jersey Royals.
“The King has a wonderful gift of putting people at ease, it’s like talking to your neighbour,” he said.
Then it was up close with the seven one-year-old heifers who have been given to the King and will move to his Highgrove estate next month.
The visiting press pack, including various royal correspondents and the doyen of photographers, 83-year-old Arthur Edwards, seemed fascinated by the continued existence of one pound notes in Jersey – at some stage it seemed like one could have set up a business and swapped two for a fiver.
Even before the days of contactless payments, cash was traditionally not carried by Kings or Queens, so there was no chance for beekeeper Bob Hogge to repeat the sale of three jars of honey to the King’s brother when Prince Edward visited the Island on Liberation Day two years ago.
If anyone thought plastic Union Jack bowler hats might now be out of fashion, they’d be wrong: there were lots in evidence among bumper crowds that packed every corner of the St Helier route, with others having secured spots on the route in from the airport earlier in the day.
Reflecting Jersey’s diverse make-up of citizens from all corners, Amanda from Wales has made friends with Laura from Ghana and Nigerian duo Maryam and Khadijak, and they were determined to catch a glimpse of the visitors as they swept into the Royal Square.
A long line of people snaked down King Street waiting to be admitted to the Royal Square, while one of the earliest to take his seat was American James Kaye, who bought the ancient feudal title of Seigneur du Fief ès Poingdestre last year and spoke of his enthusiasm to foster closer links between the Island and the United States.
By 5pm, the public-facing part of a memorable day had concluded as the royal couple headed for a the sanctuary of Government House, before departing to Guernsey this morning in the hope of some rather more settled weather for the second and final day of their tour.
