Bermuda welcomes King Charles

British monarch Charles III spent Friday in the British territory of Bermuda, arriving from the United States where he sought to mend strained relations between Washington and London.

Charles said this is the first visit by a British monarch to Bermuda in its 400-year history, a history that saw the archipelago turned into a maritime hub for the British transatlantic slave trade. The king toured a museum documenting the era of the slave trade.

Speaking during a reception at Government House in the capital Hamilton, he said, 'I am told this is also the first time in Bermuda's 400-year history that a reigning monarch has visited the islands... so I am very sorry it has taken this long.'

The British king also greeted students and chatted with them on the steps of St. Peter's Church in St. George's, the first English settlement in the Atlantic territory.

One attendee, holding a small Union Jack, said 'Thank you for coming,' while another among the hundreds gathered in King's Square said 'Come back safe.'

In Sandys Parish, the royal delegation attended a performance by Gombey dancers, guardians of a folk tradition with African, Caribbean, and American roots.

Charles also visited Trunk Island in Harrington Sound, Bermuda, where the local zoological society runs educational programs.

Before his stop in Bermuda, Charles spent four days in the United States, where President Donald Trump warmly received the royal couple and honored them at a formal event, calling the British monarch 'a great king, the greatest king in my opinion.'

Shortly after, the US president announced the lifting of tariffs on Scotch whiskey 'in honor' of Charles and Camilla.