Why King Charles Was Welcomed “Into the House of Pain” on His Samoa Tour

King Charles and Queen Camilla wrapped up their tour of Australia this week, traveling to the South Pacific island of Samoa on Wednesday, October 23. However, when the royal couple visited the capital Apia on October 24, King Charles received a rather unusual greeting.

“Your Majesty, welcome to the House of Pain!” Tattoo artist John Remisio quipped when the King saw the “tatau” or traditional tattoo, a sacred Samoan art form (according to the Mirror).

“It hurts, it hurts so much,” Lemisio confessed with a laugh during a candid exchange with King Charles. 'Does the pain last long? the King asked, to which Remisio replied philosophically, “It is a pain that will last a lifetime.”

The king asked, “Do you need a drink for that?”

The experienced tattooist wondered, “No, I don't need medicine.” King Charles was shown intricate designs that had cultural significance and could indicate a person's social status and significant moments in life.

Prince Charles, who was recently greeted by a rather unusual royal admirer in Australia, saw this demonstration when he and Queen Camilla visited a cultural village set up to introduce the royal family to various traditions, including weaving.

According to the Mirror, the event was set up by the Samoa Tourism Authority so that people from local villages could “gather in one place” and the royal couple could “meet as many local people as possible.”

Queen Kamila was also able to meet Miss Samoa 2024, Litala Lelemia-Alan. Litala said through the Mirror, “The Samoan queen has strength and resilience and is the glue that holds our community together. The Samoan Queen and the British Queen are a meeting of two different understandings and intersections of cultures and I am honored to present this aspect”

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During his visit to Apia, King Charles participated in a special welcoming ceremony where he drank a traditional (and narcotic) root drink called aba; according to the Guardian, “Australia's former deputy prime minister was hospitalized after drinking too much of this drink” at a similar ceremony in Micronesia.