Princess Diana photo 'removed' from church before King Charles' visit

A church in Bermuda has taken down a photo of King Charles and Princess Diana ahead of the King's upcoming three-day visit.

A picture of Charles from his 1982 visit to the British Overseas Territory, along with Princess Diana, who was then expecting Prince William, has been discreetly removed from its showcase at St Peter's Church, the oldest Anglican church outside the UK.

Church officials worried the photo might make the King uncomfortable, with Rev Thomas Nisbett explaining to The Mail: "We took it down recently.

"The women of the church thought it was more considerate if that reminder of the past was absent. And one doesn't challenge the women of the church."

The showcase now displays a picture from Charles's initial journey to Bermuda in 1970, when he inaugurated Parliament.

Additionally, the church's treasured silver platter and chalice, gifted by King William III and Queen Mary 329 years ago, have been polished to shine.

King Charles, 77, will arrive in Bermuda on Thursday for a three-day stay, coming straight from his visit to the United States, which starts tomorrow.

The Queen will not accompany her husband for this Caribbean part of the trip. Camilla, who will be with the monarch during the US visit, will instead head back to Britain instead of continuing to the tropical island.

In preparation for the royal visit, the island is bustling with activity. Groundskeepers are working extended hours to tidy roadsides along the King's route, painters are refreshing buildings he'll pass, and construction teams are hurrying to finish venues listed in his schedule.

The island's wild chicken population is also under scrutiny ahead of the royal visit. Hunters have been called in to reduce the number of these birds, whose crowing at night could disturb the King's rest. The birds have been a problem in Bermuda since Hurricane Emily ravaged numerous domestic coops in 1987.

"Feral chickens are everywhere on the island," states Mark Outerbridge, senior biodiversity officer for Bermuda's Environment Department.

"We trap, sedate, and humanely dispose of the chickens. But even if we capture all the wild chickens near Charles's accommodation in Bermuda, he might still hear them crowing. There are so many, I don't think we'll ever completely eliminate them."

In King's Square in St George's, crews have been unclogging drains to avoid any embarrassing overflows during royal speeches.

"It's not like Charles will be reviewing our sewer systems, but it would be unfortunate if they overflowed during his speech," one worker remarked to the media outlet.

Hopes are for a more cordial reception than the potentially tense engagement in the US, but the King may still face uneasy moments in Bermuda.

His itinerary includes a talk with Premier David Burt, who has openly stated that independence is the "next step" for the region and deemed British governance "unsuitable in a modern democracy."

The King will also visit an exhibition on the transatlantic slave trade. While Charles has previously conveyed his "personal sorrow" over slavery, he has not formally apologised.

According to Governor Andrew Murdoch, royal opposition on the island appears as "more of a quiet reluctance instead of protest," without any major demonstrations expected.

Security measures are heightened for the visit, as police aim to prevent any replay of a previous incident during Charles's 1970 visit when officers found a suspicious item in his bed that turned out to be extra bed legs.