The Prince of Wales lifted the spirits of staff and pupils at a shelter in Antigua and Barbuda on the first day of his tour of the hurricane-ravaged nation.
He was given a red-carpet welcome when he landed on Friday afternoon before being taken to Antigua’s National Technical Training Centre which is serving as a shelter for those made homeless by hurricane Irma.
Prince Charles lifted morale by sharing jokes with staff and greeting boys and girls who looked delighted to meet the heir to the throne.
He also talked sympathetically with mothers whose homes were ruined by the Category 5 hurricane which bombarded the nation in September.
The Prince’s visit started as the UK Government reaffirmed its commitment to ‘stand by’ the islands devastated by the natural disasters and announced a further £15million in support.
The Prince of Wales lifted the spirits of staff and pupils at a shelter in Antigua and Barbuda on the first day of his tour of the hurricane-ravaged nation. He is pictured at a shelter in Antigua
Prince Charles, Prince of Wales meets displaced Barbudans as he visits the National Technical Training Centre
The Prince of Wales during a visit to the temporary shelter at the National Technical Training Centre in Antigua
The Prince of Wales speaks to a resident at the temporary shelter at the National Technical Training Centre in Antigua
He also talked sympathetically with mothers whose homes were ruined by the Category 5 hurricane in September
Prince Charles, Prince of Wales meets displaced Barbudans as he visits the National Technical Training Centre
Antigua escaped the worst of Hurricane Irma’s high winds and lashing rain, but neighbouring Barbuda bore the brunt of its destructive powers.
This is Charles’s first official visit to the Commonwealth nation whose head of state is the Queen.
The heir to the throne arrived on a scheduled British Airways flight accompanied by the new International Development Secretary Penny Mordaunt.
The Portsmouth North MP, who is making her first overseas visit since replacing Priti Patel, earlier announced the new financial package – £12million for Dominica and £3million for Antigua and Barbuda.
Delight: One boy looked overjoyed to meet the future king. Prince Charles also spoke to mothers and their children
Prince Charles meets kitchen staff as he visits the National Technical Training Centre on the first day of his trip
The Prince of Wales views donations of shoes during a visit to the temporary shelter at the National Technical Training Centre in Antigua
During the three-day trip that will also see Charles visit the British Virgin Islands and Dominica, the Prince and the Cabinet minister will meet survivors, see the devastation and thank the military and NGOs for their efforts.
Waiting to meet the Prince on the runway was the governor-general of Antigua and Barbuda, Rodney Williams, and the country’s prime minister, Gaston Browne.
The red carpet welcome included a guard of honour and a band who played the national anthems of Britain and Antigua before Charles inspected the troops.
Ms Mordaunt said: ‘The UK aid mission was huge, covering small islands stretching more than 1,000 miles apart, where buildings, airports and infrastructure had been razed to the ground.
The heir to the throne arrived on a scheduled British Airways flight accompanied by the new International Development Secretary Penny Mordaunt
Waiting to meet the Prince on the runway was the governor-general of Antigua and Barbuda, Rodney Williams, and the country’s prime minister, Gaston Browne
The Prince of Wales views a guard of honour as he arrives at V.C Bird International Airport in Antigua
‘I want to pay tribute to the governments of the Overseas Territories, our humanitarian staff and to the military effort, which has been absolutely essential in delivering relief.
‘Now as we move on from the immediate response phase, on to the long-term future of the islands, Britain will continue to stand by people whose lives were devastated.
‘We are also talking to the international private sector who can support the reconstruction efforts to make sure the islands can build back, and better.’
Hurricane Irma, the most powerful storm to barrel through the Caribbean in decades, devastated huge swathes of the British Virgin Islands in September and left Barbuda almost uninhabitable after destroying nearly all of its buildings.
Less than two weeks later, the region was rocked by a second major storm, Hurricane Maria which decimated Dominica and Puerto Rico.
With the announcement of the £15million package – plus £15million recently allocated for the affected Overseas Territories of Anguilla, the British Virgin Islands and Turks and Caicos – the UK Government has now committed £92 million to help recovery and long-term reconstruction in the region.
The Prince of Wales views a guard of honour as he arrives at V.C Bird International Airport in Antigua
Prince Charles, Prince of Wales arrives at V. C. Bird International Airport on November 17, 2017 in Saint George, Antigua and Barbuda
Hurricane Irma, the most powerful storm to barrel through the Caribbean in decades, devastated huge swathes of the British Virgin Islands in September
Less than two weeks later, the region was rocked by a second major storm, Hurricane Maria which decimated Dominica and Puerto Rico