Dancing Queen Camilla! The Best Photos from King Charles' State Visit to Kenya

The King and Queen made the most of their first state visit to a Commonwealth country of the royal reign

Hello from Kenya! King Charles and Queen Camilla spent the week in the African country at the invitation of Kenyan President Dr. William Ruto, and they packed a busy royal schedule of stops into four days in Nairobi and Mombasa.

The state visit, which ran from Tuesday to Friday, was timed to the 60th anniversary of Kenya’s independence this year. The couple’s first trip to a Commonwealth country since King Charles’ accession upon the death of Queen Elizabeth in September 2022 was not without controversy, however. Protestors gathered on Mau Mau Road (named after a group that fought against colonial rule) in Nairobi on Monday, and the King stopped short of an apology for past wrongdoings on behalf of the crown at the state banquet on Tuesday.

"In coming back to Kenya, it matters greatly to me that I should deepen my own understanding of these wrongs, and that I meet some of those whose lives and communities were so grievously affected," he said in the speech.

As the state visit has officially come to a close, look back at some of the best pictures from their trip.

King Charles and Queen Camilla

The King, 74, and Queen, 76, received a ceremonial welcome from President Dr. William Ruto and First Lady Rachel Ruto at the State House in Nairobi on Oct. 31. Buckingham Palace said the state visit would “celebrate the warm relationship between the two countries and the strong and dynamic partnership they continue to forge.”

King Charles

The couple toured a new museum on Kenyan history before King Charles and President Ruto laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior in the Uhuru Gardens.

The royals and the Rutos then viewed the Mũgomo Tree at the site of the declaration of Kenya’s independence in 1963. The royal family website reported that the tree was planted in the same place the Union Jack flag once flew on the country’s first Independence Day celebration, which Prince Philip attended.

King Charles

Known for his lifelong love of conservation, gardening and the great outdoors, the King also helped plant a new tree with President Ruto.

King Charles

King Charles and Queen Camilla split up at Eastlands Library, where the King met young people participating in Prince’s Trust International Enterprise Challenge. The initiative comes from the King’s youth-focused charity which has helped over one million young people find work — and their way — since its establishment in 1976.

Queen Camilla

Meanwhile, book-loving Queen Camilla was also in her element and read a story to children at the library. There, she met the founders of Book Bunk, a local charity that aims to make public libraries “Palaces for the People,” Royal.UK said.

Queen Camilla and King Charles

The King and Queen reunited with the Rutos for a state banquet at State House later that evening. Queen Camilla didn’t wear a tiara, likely to avoid outcry around accessorizing with the royal accessory in a country formerly under British rule and scarred by The Emergency or the Mau Mau rebellion, which was met with a violent and brutal British-led crackdown in the 1950s.

The BBC states that 11,000 Mau Mau rebels and others were killed, but unofficial figures estimate that there were as many as 90,000 Kenyans executed, with more than 150,000 detained.

King Charles

In the run-up to the trip, Buckingham Palace said the royal couple would “acknowledge the more painful aspects of the U.K. and Kenya’s shared history” and the King broached the subject during his speech at the diplomatic dinner.

"It is the intimacy of our shared history that has brought our people together. However, we must also acknowledge the most painful times of our long and complex relationship," the sovereign said.

"The wrongdoings of the past are a cause of the greatest sorrow and the deepest regret," he added. "There were abhorrent and unjustifiable acts of violence committed against Kenyans as they waged, as you said at the United Nations, a painful struggle for independence and sovereignty – and for that, there can be no excuse."

King Charles and Queen Camilla

On Nov. 1, the King and Queen visited a Commonwealth War Graves Commission cemetery in Nairobi to joining British and Kenyan military personnel in an act of remembrance.

During the Mau Mau period, many veterans who fought in World War II alongside the British disposed of their medals. The King presented four veterans with replacement campaign medals, including 117-year-old Corporal Samwel Nthigai Mburia.

“You're amazing. You set us a fantastic example,” the King was overheard saying as he met Mburia in a video the Royal Family shared on X.

Queen Camilla

While the King was at the United Nations Office in Nairobi, Queen Camilla then made a solo visit to Brooke Animal Sanctuary to hear how the charity is working with the Kenya Society for the Protection and Care of Animals to rescue donkeys, horses and mules at risk. Camilla is the president of the equine welfare charity and received a shuka.

Queen Camilla

The stop wouldn’t be complete without a cuddle! The Queen offered a gentle pet during a clinic session with vets, farriers and handlers.

King Charles

During his own solo stop on Wednesday, the King visited the Karura urban forest to highlight the crucial role of green spaces and forests in sustainable cities. He walked through the woods with Wanjira Mathai, the daughter of Professor Wangari Maathai, who campaigned to save the forest and became the first African woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize.

Queen Camilla

Later in the day, the royals reunited at the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust Elephant Orphanage. The center is renowned for its work rescuing orphaned elephants — and the Queen bottle-fed a baby!

Queen Camilla and King Charles

On Nov. 2, the King and Queen stepped out in Mombasa, the second destination of their state visit. The couple kicked off day three at Mtongwe Naval Base to see a military training exercise by the Kenya Marines, where Camilla surprised by wearing something special: her wedding earrings from her civil ceremony to Charles in 2005.

King Charles

King Charles, who serves as Captain General of the Royal Marines, did the honors of inspecting a Guard of Honour. The Kenya Marines were trained by the Royal Marines, the elite amphibious troops of the Royal Navy.

King Charles

The environmentally-minded monarch took a stroll on Nyali Beach — suit and all! — to check out the results of a beach cleanup and see a turtle conservation site. He also heard more about the latest in marine conservation and coral restoration at the Kuruwitu Conservation Area.

Queen Camilla

On Friday, Nov. 3 — the last day away — Queen Camilla traveled to the Situation Room, a group dedicated to supporting survivors of sexual and gender based violence. The Queen met staff and volunteers, and privately connected with survivors.

Camilla has long made supporting victims of rape, domestic violence and sexual abuse a key priority of her public work, and she shared a dance with staff and volunteers during her last solo engagement in Kenya.

King Charles

King Charles’ last solo stops were also for an interest close to heart: interfaith relations. The monarch attended an interfaith meeting at Mombasa Memorial Cathedral and later toured the Mandhry Mosque for further discussion on interfaith dialogue.

Queen Camilla and King Charles

Beep beep! The King and Queen traveled by electric tuktuk to Fort Jesus, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the final stop of their busy state visit.

“Kwaherini Kenya! Goodbye Kenya! Thank you to everyone who welcomed The King and Queen to Nairobi and Mombasa during #RoyalVisitKenya,” courtiers wrote on X.

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