Charles shakes maracas and joins dancers in carnival parade

The King danced through the streets of Bahamas’ capital after joining a carnival parade and shaking a pair of maracas.

Charles embraced the culture of the Caribbean nation and did not need to be asked twice to step forward and follow performers swaying to the pulsating sounds of a marching band in Nassau’s Parliament Square.

The head of state is known to like to dance and has shimmied to a Samba beat in Brazil and tried ballroom dancing with a partner in New Zealand.

His moves were in contrast to the backdrop of his nine-day tour of the Caribbean, which comes in the wake of renewed calls from island nations for Britain to apologise for its role in selling enslaved people for profit and for reparations.

A few hours after arriving in the Bahamas on Tuesday, he acknowledged the “great suffering of the past” and confirmed Commonwealth leaders will discuss the legacy of slavery at a major summit he will open in Antigua next week.

There was a small protest among the Parliament Square crowds with activists holding placards with the words “Pay us what you owe us”, a reference to reparations but they were quickly moved on by local police.

Charles was treated to a vibrant and colourful demonstration of Bahamas’ Junkanoo festival, normally held on Boxing Day and New Year’s Day with floats and dancers in elaborate costumes and head dresses parading though the streets.

He watched them pass for a few minutes before being given the maracas in Bahama’s national colours and stepped into the parade gently swaying.