King hosts West Indies cricket team ahead of Lord’s Test match

The King has hosted the West Indies cricket team ahead of its first Test match against England at Lord’s.

Charles, who is head of the Commonwealth, expressed his care and concern for those affected by Hurricane Beryl as he met the squad at Buckingham Palace on Saturday.

The team were joined by High Commissioners from across the Caribbean region.

Earlier this week, the King sent his and his family’s “heartfelt condolences” to the people of the region following the death and destruction caused by the hurricane.

Charles spoke with the prime ministers of Grenada, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Jamaica on Friday to hear more about the situation on the ground, Buckingham Palace said.

It is understood the King has asked to be kept informed about the situation of those affected by Hurricane Beryl, and will likely make further calls with leaders in the coming days.

The UK has announced a new support package up to £500,000 for Caribbean countries affected by the destruction of the hurricane, which was the earliest Category 5 hurricane on record to form in the Atlantic.

Speaking after the audience with His Majesty, team Captain Kraigg Brathwaite said: “We were honoured to be invited and it was a great opportunity for the whole team to be here.

“Hurricane Beryl has been devastating but we want to make West Indians proud and put a smile on their faces during these tough times.”

Brathwaite said he had a “good chat” with Charles, including speaking about horses, and that he was hoping to “make the region proud” with their performances.

The West Indies will begin their first Test against England on July 10 before two further Tests are played between the nations at Trent Bridge in Nottingham and Edgbaston in Birmingham later this month.

The meeting caps off a busy week for Charles, having visited Scotland with the Queen for several days to mark Holyrood Week and met both the outgoing and incoming Prime Ministers on Friday, Rishi Sunak and Sir Keir Starmer.