–meets business and Indigenous leaders
King Charles III received a ceremonial city honour from Georgetown Mayor Alfred Mentore, met Indigenous leaders and attended a business reception yesterday, during a programme that also included tributes to fallen servicemen and discussions on conservation.
At the Promenade Gardens, Mentore presented the King with what the Mayor and City Council described as a renewed Key Brooch to the City of Georgetown.
The municipality said the presentation symbolised honour, respect and hospitality, while recognising Georgetown’s heritage and its tradition of welcoming distinguished guests.
Minister of Local Government and Regional Development Priya Manickchand also met the King at the gardens, where she said she outlined some of Guyana’s sustainable development initiatives.
In a Facebook post, Manickchand said she commended his environmental leadership and contributions through Iwokrama, his support for Guyana’s efforts to earn revenue from preserving its forests, and the expertise being provided by the King’s Foundation.
Minister within the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport Steven Jacobs was also present.
The King heard about conservation projects at the gardens, including work involving Kew Gardens and Victoria amazonica, Guyana’s national flower. Scottish pipers and Guyanese drummers performed during the visit.
At neighbouring Independence Park, he paused at the former Parade Ground, where public executions followed the 1823 Demerara rebellion. Jacobs accompanied him and showed him a commemorative plaque.
Business reception
At a reception hosted by the British High Commission, the King met representatives of British and Guyanese businesses and heard about commercial partnerships, including the planned new arrivals terminal at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport.
According to a press notice from the High Commission, bilateral trade reached approximately £2.2 billion in the four quarters to the end of the first quarter of 2026. It identified Guyana as the United Kingdom’s largest trading partner in the Commonwealth Caribbean.
Senior Minister with responsibility for Finance Dr Ashni Singh highlighted an increase in UK Export Finance’s country risk appetite for Guyana from £3 billion to £3.5 billion.
The financing agency’s Chief Executive Officer Tim Reid said the increase reflected its commitment to supporting infrastructure projects in Guyana while sustaining growth and employment in the United Kingdom.
Singh also highlighted Guyana’s recent reclassification by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development from country risk Category Five to Category Four, which the notice said was expected to improve access to international financing.
The King was briefed on the proposed 150,000-square-foot airport arrivals terminal, representing an investment of approximately US$65.5 million. The project is being delivered by British company Mowlem with UK Export Finance support.
The terminal is designed to process 1,000 passengers per hour, expandable to 1,500, with annual airport capacity increasing to as many as 2.5 million passengers. The wider redevelopment provides for separate arrivals and departures, improved passenger-processing and baggage systems, and additional retail and lounge facilities.
Mowlem Director Phil Atkinson said the major construction phase would begin imminently.
The UK’s Trade Commissioner for Latin America and the Caribbean, Amy Barklam, said British expertise was supporting Guyana’s development priorities while the country’s growth created opportunities for British businesses.
Conservation and remembrance
At the Arthur Chung Conference Centre, the King toured the exhibition accompanying the second Global Biodiversity Alliance Conference and commended Guyana’s forest conservation.
“That is an incredible achievement and, of course, deserves to be rewarded,” he said, according to the Department of Public Information.
He recalled his involvement in Guyana’s forest conservation approach through his Rainforest Project and International Sustainability Unit, and warned that continued deforestation and biodiversity loss threatened human health and future generations.
He also congratulated President Irfaan Ali on establishing the alliance.
During the exhibition visit, Ali said cooperation with the King was expanding to include Georgetown’s revitalisation and a village of harmony at Moraikobai, Region Five.
DPI reported that the Moraikobai initiative would bring together Indigenous knowledge, traditional craft, sustainable livelihoods and nature conservation.
Ali recalled the King’s support, as Prince of Wales, for Guyana’s emerging Low Carbon Development Strategy in 2008, and pointed to further cooperation through the King’s Foundation and other partnerships.
Earlier, the King joined Prime Minister Mark Phillips in laying wreaths at the Commonwealth War Graves site in Georgetown. He also met veterans, including 99-year-old Donald Grant, who is due to celebrate his 100th birthday on November 3.
At Umana Yana, the King met executive members of the National Toshaos Council to hear about Indigenous communities’ development priorities, cultural heritage and challenges. Protesters outside called for reparations for slavery.
The programme also provided for a concluding engagement at the Kingston Seawall, including discussions on sustainable cities and mangrove restoration.
The two-day state visit marks 60 years of diplomatic relations between Guyana and the United Kingdom. Charles last visited in February 2000 as Prince of Wales.
Discussion