King Charles sips a narcotic kava infusion during a traditional ava ceremony as he is appointed Samoan ‘high chief’

King Charles III today sipped a polished half-coconut filled with the narcotic infusion of kava during a traditional ceremony before a line of bare-breasted Samoans.

Dressed in a white safari-style suit, the 75-year-old monarch sat with Queen Camila at the head of the carved-wood longhouse, where he was served a drink.

The peppery, slightly intoxicating spiced drink is a key element of Pacific culture and is locally known as “ava”. Kava roots, prepared by the chief’s daughter and filtered through a sieve of dried bark, were paraded around the tent.

The Samoan then screamed as he poured the drink, which was eventually presented to the king, who said, “God bless this awa,” and then raised it to his mouth.

Camilla sat next to him, fanning herself, as the pair continued their 11-day tour of Australia and Samoa on the king’s first major foreign trip since his cancer diagnosis.

The king replaced his characteristic suit with a more casual one and was honored with the new title of “high commander” – “Tui Taumeasina”.

The ceremony took place at the National University of Samoa, in the falesamoa, a large, covered open-air hall made of huge beams and guarded by a circle of malosi ole nuu, bare-breasted orators armed with staffs of their office, wearing sarongs and garlands.

As was custom, Charles poured a few drops of kava before drinking deeply from a cup made of coconut shell, under the supervision of village elders and dignitaries, including Samoan Prime Minister Afioga Fiame Naomi Mata’afa and Foreign Minister David Lammy.

Charles wore a Royal Navy style suit by Anderson & Shepperd, with fabric trim by the Samoan School of Arts.

The jacket was similar to the elei, an elegant, casual short-sleeved shirt worn by Samoans, and Charles’ appearance was even mirrored in the outfits of his security officers and some of his aides, who wore colorful shirts.

At the end of the ceremony, a garland of dried pandanus was placed around the king’s neck and the queen a flower garland, after which they were presented with an array of gifts, from finely woven mats to a pig carcass.

Later in the village of Moata’a, his chief, Tofaeono Lupati Fuatai, urged the monarch to “take a small part of Samoa with him” after he was named Tui Taumeasina, or King of Taumeasina.

Villagers gathered for a ceremony, as they had done at the earlier event, and the chief later spoke of his admiration for the king and his efforts to bring attention to climate change throughout his life.

Of Charles’ honor, he said: ‘We hope the king will take a small part of Samoa with him.

“When he wins the title of Tui-Taumeasin, we too will become a part of him and he will forever be connected to our people and our lands.”

The Polynesian country of Samoa, like other small island developing states, is highly vulnerable to the effects of climate change, including tropical cyclones and storm surges, flooding and more severe and longer-lasting droughts.

The village of Moata’a was chosen to welcome the royal family after the area was severely affected by flooding in 2018, and in response, the village council developed a future disaster plan and established a royal-visited mangrove conservation area.

The chief said, “The king is the perfect advocate for us as a nation. Climate change is real, it’s happening now, and we must insist the world acknowledge how dangerous it is for nations like ours.”