– as King Charles makes brief appearance at Kingston seawall
Sixty-seven-year-old Pauline Inniss finally fulfilled a childhood dream yesterday when she saw King Charles III at the Kingston Seawall Bandstand, decades after missing the opportunity to see his mother, the late Queen Elizabeth II, during her visit to Guyana in the 1960s.
Inniss, who was about five years old at the time, was living in Bartica, Region Seven, and could not travel to Georgetown to see the late Queen.
Decades later, she finally got her opportunity as the British monarch greeted members of the public during the final engagement of his two-day state visit to Guyana.
“Since growing up as a little girl; when the Queen came the first time to the country, I was so enthusiastic to get to see her, but I was living in Region Seven at the time and I couldn’t get to come to town,” Inniss recalled. “Now the King is here and I am getting the opportunity.”
Inniss was among dozens of people who converged at the Kingston seawall hoping to catch a glimpse of the King, whose visit marked 60 years of diplomatic relations between Guyana and the United Kingdom.
However, the public engagement lasted only a few minutes, limiting the opportunity for many of those gathered to greet him or shake his hand.
For others, particularly those who travelled from outside Georgetown, the occasion represented a rare opportunity to see the monarch in person. Rubena Hassan, for example, travelled from Canal Number Two on the West Bank Demerara with her two children Shanaz and Chetwin and others in a group of 15.
She told Kiskadee Watch that the children were particularly eager to see the King, prompting the group to make the journey to Georgetown.
The visit also drew people from Guyana’s hinterland regions.Denise Cornelius travelled from Santa Rosa, Moruca, Region One, also with a group of 15, on a trip coordinated by the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs.
Cornelius said the group left at about 6:15 a.m. yesterday and arrived in Georgetown around 12:15 p.m., after being delayed by traffic. They planned to return to their community this morning.
For Cornelius, the opportunity to meet the monarch was especially meaningful because of the stories about royalty she had grown up reading and hearing. “As a child growing up, I always read and heard the story of kings and queens and princesses, and for me, it is a great privilege to see him in person,” she said.
Cornelius was among the fortunate members of the public who managed to shake the King’s hand.
The public engagement at the Kingston seawall was the final activity of Charles’ two-day state visit before he departed for Antigua and Barbuda.
Earlier yesterday, the King toured the Kingston Seawall Esplanade, where he received a briefing on Guyana’s mangrove restoration programme and its role in protecting Georgetown’s coastline from erosion and flooding.
The visit to Guyana was at the invitation of President Irfaan Ali and coincided with the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Guyana and the United Kingdom. It was Charles’ first visit to Guyana as King and his first since February 2000, when he visited as Prince of Wales.
The Kingston gathering came after two days of official engagements focused on diplomacy, trade, environmental conservation and Guyana’s cultural heritage.
The preparations extended beyond official venues, with sections of Georgetown cleaned and painted ahead of the royal visit. Temporary road closures and traffic diversions were also implemented in parts of the capital and along sections of the East Coast Demerara corridor to facilitate the programme.
The King’s itinerary included engagements with Indigenous leaders, environmental advocates, business representatives and young people.
At State House on Thursday, Charles attended a reception featuring cultural performances representing Guyana’s diverse heritage. Yesterday, he also paid tribute to Guyanese, British and Commonwealth service personnel who died in service at the Georgetown Memorial at Rabbit Walk, visited Promenade Gardens and attended the Global Biodiversity Alliance Conference and Financing Forum at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre.
His programme also included meetings with Indigenous leaders at the Umana Yana and discussions with British businesses and local stakeholders on trade and investment.
The British High Commission has said the visit was intended to highlight the modern partnership between Guyana and the United Kingdom, including cooperation in biodiversity, sustainable development and commercial relations.
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