The Tribune

By Earyel Bowleg

Tribune Staff Reporter

ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

KING Charles III swapped royal reserve for a cowbell yesterday, dancing down Bay Street in a Junkanoo rush-out as the crowd cheered him on.

“That’s it,” one participant shouted as the 77-year-old monarch moved to the Bahamian classic Naughty Johnny, swinging a cowbell in the national colours.

Culture Minister Leslia Miller-Brice and Agriculture and Marine Resources Minister Jomo Campbell, a well-known Junkanooer, guided him through the rush at the cultural festival in Parliament and Rawson Square.

The King first watched from the sidelines, where he was greeted by Junkanoo icon Percy “Vola” Francis, who was taking part in the rush. He then stepped in to join the fun, and before long had disappeared among the feathered costumes.

“I think it’s fair to say King Charles LOVED Junkanoo in the Bahamas! We completely lost him!” Rebecca English, royal editor of Britain’s Daily Mail, wrote on X.

Spectators lining the street waved Bahamian flags, and the King stopped to shake hands with some of them.

The rush-out came a day after he drew laughs at Clifford Park by naming three of Junkanoo’s biggest rival groups, the Valley Boys, the Saxons Superstars and One Family, and joking that the Prime Minister would want him to declare his allegiance.

Before joining the parade, the King toured booths showcasing Bahamian products, including Native Sloops, Tasty Tea, The New Duff and My Bahamas Sponge. He asked vendors plenty of questions but did not sample any food.

“What are the ingredients?” he asked a vendor who appeared to be selling pepper sauce.

“Fiery goat peppers, sour, onions, garlic – all locally sourced,” the vendor replied.

“Very hot,” the King said.

He also watched a demonstration of how conch fritters are made, and asked what was done with the shells. He was told they are sold as souvenirs.

Not everyone in the crowd was there to celebrate. Members of the Bahamas National Reparations Committee were on Bay Street, where one sign read “Pay us what you owe us”.

The King left after nearly 50 minutes, but the party carried on.

His rush-out appeared to win over some Bahamians and royal watchers alike. Tom Hartley, Britain’s former High Commissioner to The Bahamas, shared footage of the moment on X with a two-word verdict in Bahamian dialect: “Now he reach.”