King Charles has seen drier days.
"Where's the umbrella?" the monarch repeatedly asked royal aides as he was drenched in a downpour in the twin-nation of Antigua and Barbuda during his nine-day tour of the Caribbean on Sunday, Nov. 1.
The king was seen gesturing with his arms in bewilderment and calling on his team to "bring it" as his beige suit became sodden as torrential rain fell at a parade held to celebrate the 45th anniversary of Antiguan and Barbudan independence.
While wife Queen Camillawas swiftly given an umbrella and led to shelter, the monarch was left uncovered as aides flapped around him as he was drenched at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium.
On social media, royal watchers deemed the moment a "shameful oversight" by local organizers
and royal staff, while others were quick to criticize the queen for walking off and leaving her husband to battle the elements.
Others pointed out that the 77-year-old monarch, who was diagnosed with an unspecified form of cancer in 2024, was likely not in the best health to be standing uncovered in biblical rains.
Rebecca English, the Daily Mail's royal editor, noted that it was"prearranged"that Camilla would move to the stands while her husband inspected troops at the parade.
The monarch, who was finally given an umbrella, appeared to be in better spirits later on in the evening.
"I've started growing watercress on my trousers," he joked.
Long to Reign over him…
— Chris Ship (@chrisshipitv) November 2, 2026
When a sudden Caribbean shower arrived more quickly than the umbrellas for King Charles and Queen Camilla in Antigua at the Independence Day celebrations.
Later, as he dried off, the King joked with to Antiguan PM: “I’ve started growing watercress on my… pic.twitter.com/wfMVZNtlt0
King is battered by heavy rain amid controversial royal tour
The king's harsh battering from the elements came amid growing demands for reparations and calls for him to apologize over Britain's historical role in the slave trade, during which British ships transported more than 3 million enslaved Africans across the Atlantic, according to Britain's National Archives.
Buckingham Palace said last month that the king would not shy away from addressing "the darkest days of our past," though on advice of the British government, he will not issue a formal apology for the nation's role in the slave trade. There are legal implications if Britain were to apologize.
Gaston Browne, Antigua and Barbuda's Prime Minister, says he personally wants Charles removed as their head of state, saying he believes the monarch should be replaced with an Antiguan.
Newly elected officials in the twin-island nation now pledge allegiance directly to the state instead of the king. The change to the oath came in May after Gaston Browne was re-elected prime minister.
Browne has called on British prime minister Andy Burnham to agree to pay reparations for Britain's colonial past, expressing concern that there could be a repeat of past "atrocities" in the future if compensation is not paid.
"I understand the politics in the U.K. in which it may be a difficult proposition for him to agree to any form of reparations but that does not negate the need for reparations," Browne told British broadcaster ITV News.
"If there's no compensation there is likely to be a repeat of those atrocities sometime in the future and you can see what is happening globally already," Browne added. "There has to be some acknowledgment of the wrong and to recognize, too, that there has to be some form of restitution."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'Where's the umbrella?' King Charles gets soaked in Antigua
