Charles hears tale of prejudice from Guyanese veteran who fought for Britain

The King shared a poignant moment with a veteran from Guyana who fought for Britain in the Second World War but suffered prejudice in peacetime.

Charles met former servicemen who served in Guyana’s pre-independence forces when he honoured the nation’s fallen at a Commonwealth War Graves in the capital Georgetown.

As a police band played the Last Post the King and the country’s Prime Minster Mark Phillips left a floral tribute at the Georgetown Timehri Memorial, paying homage to 24 British Guyanese casualties of the two world wars.

Later Charles met veterans including Donald Grant, 99, who will celebrate his 100th birthday next week on November 3.

Bending down to talk to James Samuel, 100, in his wheelchair, Charles heard how aged 19 he enlisted in the British Guiana Volunteer Force in 1943.

“What a great pleasure it is to see you on this occasion,” Charles told him.

“I hope it wasn’t too much trouble for you to come here today. I hear you’re 100, remarkable, and your hearing and sight and everything is OK? Very good, fantastic.”

Mr Samuel told the King about some of his adventures in the RAF, and how after his military career, he moved to London and struggled to find work because of prejudice, eventually finding a junior role at a telephone exchange.

He told the King: “I couldn’t get a job, I was the only black person, I was told black people from the colonies couldn’t be in charge of a telephone exchange.”

Charles frowned and shook his head as he listened to the story.