After completing his Royal Visit to the United States, King Charles opted to take the long way home and complete a second historic visit: to Bermuda.
It marked the Monarch’s first Royal Visit to a British Overseas Territory since becoming king. As it is the oldest British Overseas Territory and also the first stop on his mother’s Coronation Tour, it’s only fitting that he also made the trip to the territory.
The two-day trip is not King Charles’ first time visiting Bermuda. When he was the Prince of Wales, he visited Bermuda as a representative of the Crown in 1970. He was 21 years old. The 1970 visit coincided with the 350th anniversary of the opening of Bermuda’s first parliament.
He’s also not the first sovereign to make an official visit to Bermuda. His mother, Queen Elizabeth II, was the first monarch to make the journey. Bermuda was the first stop on her Coronation tour of the Commonwealth in 1953. She returned with the Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Philip, four times as Queen: in 1975, 1976, 1994, and 2009.
The most recent visit by a member of the British Royal Family was by Brigitte, the Duchess of Gloucester, in her capacity as Colonel-in-Chief of the Royal Bermuda Regiment, in 2025.
What is an Overseas Territory?
An overseas territory is a territory or region which does not possess complete political independence (or sovereignty) from its mother country. They are usually geographically separated but remain under their parent country’s jurisdiction. Some overseas territories are self-governing, like Bermuda.
There is debate over which country has the most overseas territories. However, the United Kingdom is generally considered the one with the most, with 14-17: 14 are official, and if you include Crown Dependencies (Jersey, Guernsey, and the Isle of Man), it has 17. The United States of America has 14 overseas territories, five of which are permanently inhabited, for example, Puerto Rico, and the rest are used for military or scientific research purposes. France has 13 overseas territories (some count up to 16 by including collectivities and French Overseas Departments). Australia has seven, including Norfolk Island and Christmas Island.
Overseas territories are remnants of European colonial empires, such as the British Empire. Bermuda is the oldest British Overseas Territory. It was settled in 1609 and became an official colony of Britain in 1684.
King Charles royal tour to Bermuda 2026
Day One: May 2
King Charles arrived on 2 May and received a warm welcome from locals in King’s Square. There was a military ceremony with a 21-gun salute by the Royal Bermuda Regiment.
Following his welcome, King Charles journeyed to Trunk Island to experience “Living Classroom,” a program to encourage young people to understand and protect Bermuda’s local flora and fauna. King Charles met with the staffers, had a hands-on lesson about hermit crabs in Palmetto Forest, experienced a soil class and planted a Bermuda Cedar at the Black Mangrove pond. He also watched the release of a Bermuda Longtail.
Afterwards, King Charles visited the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club to meet with young sailors. He also experienced the National Gombey Dance Troupe’s performance at the Royal Naval Dockyard.
The King also met with Commonwealth and Olympic Games medallists, plus the members of Team Bermuda who are gearing up to attend the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow in 2026. He also met with artists and artisans at Hamilton City Hall.
At a Garden Party at Government House, the King made a speech about Bermuda’s importance to the “British family.” He also paid tribute to his mother and father, who visited the island before him.
‘I need hardly say that Bermuda, like all the overseas territories, is a most cherished and important member of the British family, with a friendship as solid as this so-called ‘rock’ and for my own family in particular, Bermuda has a dinstinctly fond resonance.’
Sadly, increasingly fewer of us are old enough to remember that my mother and father, the late Queen and Duke of Edinurgh, made Bermuda the first stop of their Coronation tour in 1953.”
Day Two: 3 May
On the second day of his trip to Bermuda, King Charles met with the Royal Bermuda Regiment Coast Guard. He officially opened the new unit on St David’s Island and presented medals to service personnel at the branch.
The king also met with Bermudian locals, including a sweet girl who gave the king a bouquet of flowers.
Many overseas territories are used for scientific research. Bermuda is home to a telescope which tracks space debris as part of Project Nova, which was launched by the UK Space Agency. The King officially launched the project in his final engagement. Space sustainability is one of the King’s passions. In 2022, his Sustainable Markets Initiative started the Astra Carta framework to inspire sustainability in the space industry.
As a special surprise for the monarch, he received a message from space! Canadian astronaut Colonel Jeremy Hansen filmed a video message to King Charles while travelling around the moon on Artemis II.
After he departed, the King shared a message of gratitude to the people of Bermuda, signed Charles R, for “Rex”, Latin for king.
Thank you to all the people of Bermuda for such a wonderful few days and for the fond memories that will last a lifetime. I carry your joyful enthusiasm home with me, with my most heartfelt gratitude for your kind support and for that famous island hospitality. Until we meet again… 🩵
Charles R.
