As millions watched Britain’s King Charles be crowned at Westminster Abbey in London on Saturday, a distant community in Vanuatu, 500 kilometers from New Zealand, also prepared for the coronation.
According to reports, the people of Iaohnanen and Yakel on Vanuatu’s Tanna island performed ritual dances, drank kava, and slaughtered pigs to honor the new monarch, whom they think is the son of their god – the late Prince Philip.
For decades, these two villages have revered King Charles, the former Duke of Edinburgh as a god-like character – a great mountain spirit – who they claim was born on Tanna but fled the island to marry the world’s most powerful queen, Queen Elizabeth II.
Veneration for the Royal Family: A Strong Bond with the Tribe of Tanna
This idea was solidified when the Prince and Queen Elizabeth first visited the island in 1974, and the tribe has since had a strong veneration for the royal family. His death in 2021 was honored by several days of sorrow during which the tribe displayed images of the royal handed to the hamlet as a gift over many decades by the Prince.
According to AFP, the locals got a painting of King Charles on Saturday from Britain’s Acting High Commissioner Michael Watters.
“Prince Philip’s family is Tanna’s family,” the tribe’s chief had told the Guardian in 2021, adding that they considered Prince Charles as “one of their own.”
Over 5,000 members of the tribe are expected to celebrate the coronation, as per reports. “This person is really meaningful to the people of Tanna … you will see a lot of people believing and celebrating the crowning of the prince. There are a lot of activities … there will be … women and men dancing together, so it’s going to be big. It’s another thing that will bring back the history of England and Tanna and keep remembering the friendship on this island,” ABC reported.
