ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA — Actor Sir Idris Elba met King Charles unexpectedly at Nelson's Dockyard in Antigua and Barbuda on Monday, issuing a cryptic five-word message to the monarch ahead of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting opening Tuesday.
The chance encounter occurred as Charles toured the Georgian-era heritage site, where he was setting an engraved stone into a wall. Elba, a goodwill ambassador for the King's Trust, was hosting the One Commonwealth Night concert at the UNESCO World Heritage Site.
"How are you?" the actor asked as he shook hands with Charles. "Are you having a good time? Sorry about the prime minister."
King Charles laughed and asked what Idris was doing in Antigua. Both men laughed as Idris affectionately patted the King on the arm and replied: "I get around."
The meeting came as Prime Minister Andy Burnham arrived in Antigua for the CHOGM, where the issue of a formal apology for slavery and reparations is expected to dominate. Burnham has said he is open to listening to calls for a formal apology from nations affected by the transatlantic slave trade but has ruled out considering financial reparations.
Downing Street has defended the prime minister's travel arrangements, stating the plane was redirected from Manchester to collect Burnham and his wife after he had been working in Scotland and Manchester earlier in the week. The encounter between Elba and Charles highlights the informal moments unfolding alongside the formal summit proceedings, where leaders are expected to grapple with the sensitive legacy of the transatlantic slave trade.
