The King and Queen have arrived in Samoa for their first state visit, saying they “can’t wait” to see the country.

       The couple landed on Wednesday night, after a direct Royal Australian Air Force flight from their royal visit to Australia.

       They greeted the country with the words “Feiloa’i ma le manuia!”, which loosely translates as “looking forward to meeting the Samoan people”, and were met on the tarmac by dignitaries and the Samoan police, who played the national anthems.

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       The King and Queen are on the small Pacific island for a three-day state visit, when the King will officially open the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM).

       King Charles wore a pale grey suit and Queen Camilla wore a pink embroidered tunic top and white palazzo trousers by Anna Valentine.

       They were given a ceremonial welcome at Faleolo International Airport VIP terminal with a guard of honour made up of police officers, as the island nation has no official army.

       They were met off the plane by the prime minister of Samoa and David Lammy, the UK’s Foreign Secretary.

       After arriving and greeting the dignitaries, the King held a brief private audience with the Samoan prime minister.

       The King is to attend his first CHOGM as the organisation’s head while in Samoa, as well as enjoying the best of the country’s culture and traditions.

       As they travelled to their beachfront resort home for their stay, they were driven past coastal villages newly-painted in the colours of Commonwealth countries.

       Flags lined roads all around the island, with flower pots decorated to match.

       A statement posted by the official X account of the Royal family said: “As we head towards Apia, we can’t wait to visit Samoa for the first time together and to experience the warmth of ancient traditions with your remarkable people. Feiloa’i ma le manuia!”

       The King will formally open CHOGM, which Sir Keir Starmer is also attending. They are both expected to come under significant pressure over slave trade reparations.

       While in Samoa, the King and Queen will receive an official Ava ceremonial welcome at the National University of Samoa, in which they will be offered a specialist local drink in one of the island’s most important rituals.

       It involves the sharing of a ceremonial “ava” drink, made with the dried roots of the native kava plant mixed with water and drunk from a coconut shell.

       The King will meet university students and will be offered a new High Chief title in the village of Moata’a.

       The Queen, meanwhile, will pay a visit to a church school and a women’s forum focusing on domestic abuse.

       They will both spend time at the Samoan Cultural Village which celebrates traditional arts, crafts, culture, enterprise and sport.

       On Friday, the King will spend the day at the CHOGM, which brings together delegations from 56 countries in Africa, the Caribbean and Americas, Europe, Asia, and the Pacific.

       He will deliver a speech, welcome new heads of government and attend a celebratory dinner in one of his most significant days of duty since his cancer diagnosis.