King and Queen visit Guernsey

Summary

The King and Queen are visiting Guernsey
They were greeted by crowds along St Peter Port seafront
Feudal lords have paid homage in a special ceremony
A plaque to mark the occasion was unveiled on the Crown Pier
The Golden Guernsey Goat has been given a royal title
Representatives from Alderney and Sark - part of the Bailiwick of Guernsey - met the royals at Les Cotils

Live Reporting

Written by Georgina Barnes, edited by Ben Chapple

Thank you for readingpublished at 17:00 British Summer Time 16 July
That is it for our coverage of the royal visit to Guernsey.
The royal couple have spent two days in the Channel Islands - starting in Jersey on Monday - and are set for another busy day on Wednesday with the King's Speech as part of the State Opening of Parliament and the Queen marking her 77th birthday.
Our team today was: Ben Chapple, Georgina Barnes, Harry Whitehead, Holly-Anne Langlois, Isla Blatchford, Jack Silver, Matt Judge, Olivia Fraser and Tim Hunter.
Crowds turned out to welcome royal visitorspublished at 16:55 British Summer Time 16 July
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The sun shone out as islanders gathered to greet the King and Queen on their first visit since he ascended to the throne.
- King Charles and Queen Camilla were greeted by a 21-gun salute fired from Castle Cornet - the last Royalist stronghold to surrender in the English Civil War
- Wherever they went the crowds turned out to welcome them with one woman planting a kiss on the King's cheek
- Items including a silver cup from about 1700 and spurs from the 17th Century were presented to the King in a ceremony of homage
- A plaque marking the visit was unveiled in the spot where the King's ascension was proclaimed
- The Golden Guernsey Goat is now royal after being a protected title for the species in the island and around the world
- Islanders from Alderney and Sark met the royal couple who had been unable to visit the other islands of the Bailiwick of Guernsey during this visit
King speaks of Sark's timeless and enduring way of lifepublished at 16:52 British Summer Time 16 July
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The King and Queen spoke to islanders who have lived in Sark during World War Two
The King thanked representatives from Sark for their “wonderfully warm welcome” and reminisced about the “many happy memories” he and the Queen shared of their last visit to the island.
He said: "May you cling to all that is of timeless and enduring value about your unique way of life, while benefiting from the best of the new, in order to safeguard your beautiful island and sustain your self-sufficient character."
After a performance from the local schoolchildren, the King and Queen then spoke to islanders who had survived Sark’s occupation during World War Two.
Betty and George Guille said the royal couple seemed "very relaxed" when they "fleetingly" spoke to them, and they were "glad it hadn’t rained".
Betty, whose cousin was killed by a German mine when they were both four-and-a-half, said it was "quite a thing" to meet the King all these years later.
George added: "Most of us are royalists at heart."
Visit concludes with a Sark rendition of happy birthdaypublished at 16:28 British Summer Time 16 July
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The royal visit to Guernsey has finished with a group of children from Sark School singing Happy Birthday for Queen Camilla in Serquaise.
The Queen is set to celebrate her 77th birthday on Wednesday.
She was gifted a birthday card made by the primary school children.
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King appreciates islanders 'bringing Alderney to Guernsey'published at 16:10 British Summer Time 16 July
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The King said he "appreciated the efforts" of bringing Alderney to Guernsey
King Charles has addressed the islanders of Alderney during his time at Les Cotils in St Peter Port.
He said it was "a special pleasure to see the members of your community here today".
The King said: "We greatly appreciate the efforts you've all made to bring Alderney to Guernsey on this particular occasion.
"We are really deeply sorry that we are unable to visit you on this occasion."
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Prior to his speech, the King and Queen were presented with the loyal address from Alderney
The King said during their visit to Alderney in 2012, he remembered many of the events they were involved in.
He said: "We are delighted to hear that the oak tree we planted at your island hall is actually thriving.
"We look forward, I need hardly say, to returning to your island again in the future."
King and Queen sign visitors bookpublished at 15:55 British Summer Time 16 July
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The King and Queen have both signed the visitors book at Les Cotils.
It is sure to be displayed in the building for future islanders and visitors to see.
While there they met with representatives from Alderney and Sark and were told about the environment, heritage and traditions of the islands.
I am pleased, says woman, 91, who kissed the Kingpublished at 15:47 British Summer Time 16 July
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Kathleen Moriarty, 91, asked King Charles for a kiss during his visit to Guernsey
King tastes Charles ale created for coronation at expopublished at 15:40 British Summer Time 16 July
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The ale was brought back for the royal visit
The King has sampled half a pint of Charles ale during his visit at the Crown Pier expo.
King Charles enjoyed a sip of the golden ale from the Little Big Brew Company - a local craft brewery established in 2020.
The new brew was created to celebrate the King’s coronation in 2023.
Speaking after the visit, Dan O’Brien, director and head brewer, said the King "seemed to enjoy it".
“He told us ‘that’s as much as I can manage as I’ve got a long day ahead’," he said.
Camilla was also given a piece of Guernsey Dairy Vintage Cheese by the Guernsey Dairy company.
The gift was as “an early present” before her 77th birthday on Wednesday.
Image source, Chris George
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King Charles trying an ale created to mark his coronation
Royal Golden Guernsey Goat meets King and Queenpublished at 15:25 British Summer Time 16 July
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King Charles and Queen Camilla met a specially titled goat
It's not just islanders who have waited to meet the King and Queen - but a special goat too!
Tamsin, eight, represented her breed, which has been granted a special title of the Royal Golden Guernsey Goat to recognise the "significance of the visit" being the King's first to Guernsey since he ascended to the throne.
The meeting was at Les Cotils, where the royal couple are learning more about the environment, heritage and traditions of the islands in the Bailiwick of Guernsey.
Queen visits home of Les Miserables author Victor Hugopublished at 15:13 British Summer Time 16 July
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Queen Camilla was guided around the house by Honorary French Consul Odile Blanchette
Queen Camilla visited the Guernsey home of writer Victor Hugo in a break from the crowds during the royal visit to the island.
Hugo lived at Hauteville House in St Peter Port between 1856 and 1870, after being exiled from France and a short stay in Jersey, and wrote some of his most celebrated works, including Les Miserables, there.
The property was donated to the City of Paris in 1927 and is now a museum dedicated to the author, attracting 20,000 visitors a year.
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Queen Camilla on the balcony of Hauteville House with Castle Cornet and the islands of Herm and Jethou in the background
Lifeboat crew wave from the waves for the Kingpublished at 14:52 British Summer Time 16 July
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Members of the RNLI lifeboat crew waved from their boat as King Charles III and Queen Camilla toured a showcase of Guernsey culture, heritage, produce and environmental initiatives on the Crown Pier.
The King was announced as patron of the charity in May and his family has a long association with it.
He met with members of the crew on the Crown Pier.
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Children share experience of shaking hands with the royalspublished at 14:33 British Summer Time 16 July
Tim Hunter
Reporting from St Peter Port seafront
Among the islanders shaking hands with the royals were many youngsters.
Maily, eight, said she shook both the King and Queen's hands, and said "they asked if it was our summer holiday and we said yes".
A nine-year-old boy said he told King Charles that "you're a very good King", whereas Isabella, eight, said "welcome back" to Queen Camilla.
Ava, six, said she gave the Queen some flowers to which "she said thank you", and she said it made her "really happy".
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Sisters Beatrice and Harriet met the royal couple
Beatrice, eight, said she "said welcome" when the King and Queen shook her hand.
"I think it's really nice they finally get to visit Guernsey again," she said.
Her sister Harriet, six, said she met the Queen and just "shook her hand".
She said "we might go now" they've met the royal couple.
No let up in the crowds waiting to see the royalspublished at 14:20 British Summer Time 16 July
Harry Whitehead
Reporting from Cambridge Park
Coming from Town to Cambridge Park there is no let up in the crowds.
Hundreds of families have watched the events of the morning unfold on the big screen and are now waiting along the roadside.
At the park, excited young children eagerly await what is likely to be their first ever glimpse of royalty.
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People are lining the route the royal couple will drive while families have gathered in the park to watch proceedings on a big screen
A kiss for the King!published at 14:11 British Summer Time 16 July
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One islander gave the King a kiss on the cheek
The King got more than he was expecting when he greeted people in St Peter Port.
Kathleen Moriarty, 91, gave him more than a handshake and greeting as she kissed the monarch on the cheek!
Family of man who taught King to fly honoured by invitepublished at 13:57 British Summer Time 16 July
PA Media
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The daughters of a Navy veteran who taught the King how to fly helicopters said they were honoured to have been invited to a tea party during the royal visit to Guernsey.
Peter Voute, a Guernsey man who trained King Charles at Yeovilton, Somerset, in the 1970s, died in February at 85 years old.
Tricia Voute and Carina Howitt said the King "wrote to us personally after our father had passed".
"It was very kind and not expected - we thought we would get a generalised note saying the King passes on his condolences but it was the sheer kindness of the letter - which is very private - and the flowers that he sent us that moved us very deeply," they said.
His daughters said their father, who was also an usher at Charles and Diana’s wedding in 1981, "always spoke very well of him, very personally of him and that follows through to all the family".
They said: "He always said he was one of the most natural pilots he’d ever taught and he always said that he was just really good fun, a really good person.
"He rated him extremely highly - they’ve kindly asked us to be here because of that... it came as a huge honour and a huge surprise that we were invited."
Crowds turn out to meet royal visitorspublished at 13:44 British Summer Time 16 July
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Crowds turned out along Guernsey's St Peter Port seafront to greet the royal visitors.
King Charles and Queen Camilla spent time meeting islanders - some of whom had been waiting for hours to get a prime spot to see them.
Image source, PA Media
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Alderney pupils to perform poem for royal visitorspublished at 13:31 British Summer Time 16 July
Three pupils from St Anne’s School in Alderney will be performing a poem for the royal couple when they visit Les Cotils.
They are part of a delegation from the island that will be presenting "the best of Alderney".
Poppy said: "I think once we are actually at the venue and we are in Guernsey I'll think I'll get pretty nervous and I think I'll be a bit worried. But I think it’ll be OK in the end.”
Evie said: "Well of course it is exciting. The fact that we get to go, which we don’t do very often with the school, and the fact that we’re meeting royals at the end of it."
Saoirse: "My family is impressed that I’m going to see the King and they think I will have a really good time.”
Head teacher Wendy Wilson said: "It’s something that many of us never get to experience so we are all really excited about it. And it’s something that will last forever in their memory, for sure."
Being asked to showcase local products 'an honour'published at 13:19 British Summer Time 16 July
Isla Blatchford
BBC Guernsey communities reporter
"It’s an honour, it’s an honour to be asked, it’s an honour to be recognised as representing Guernsey. We’re very proud of what we do," said Naomi Tustin, the owner of Guernsey Seaweed.
The company's stall is part of the Crown Pier expo.
Ms Tustin said: "We’re hoping that we’ll be able to showcase where we’ve come from and where we’re going with a selection of our products."
The expo opened to the public once the royal couple had left.
Honour to be visited so early in reign, islander sayspublished at 13:11 British Summer Time 16 July
Holly-Anne Langlois
Reporting from St Peter Port seafront
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Wendy Clarkson and Di Aitchison said the atmosphere was "amazing"
Di Aitchison was one of the islanders who shook the King's hand.
She said the atmosphere had been "amazing" and it was an honour for the King and Queen to visit "so early in their reign".
"What an honour, absolutely amazing, we've been down here a few hours now.
"We've had a fabulous time with everybody here... the King came and we all cheered, bless his heart he came across and shook our hands.
"He thanked us for waiting so long, a fabulous day."
King 'very pleasant' at Crown Pier expopublished at 12:58 British Summer Time 16 July
Olivia Fraser
Reporting from St Peter Port seafront
The President of La Societe Guernesiaise met the King at the Crown Pier expo.
Trevor Bourgaize said it was "a fleeting visit" but that His Majesty was "very pleasant, very knowledgeable and just encouraged us to carry on the good work".
He said: "He was very interested in the conservation work we do, we introduced him to some scaly crickets.
"We moved on to the history of the society, the fact that we've been going for 140 years, told him about our transactions."
Mr Bourgaize added: "It's nice for the King to visit and hopefully it'll be good for our society so that people will get even more idea of what we're doing."