By the time we boarded the RAF Voyager to depart Guyana, midway through the King’s epic tour of the Caribbean, the travelling press pack was looking rather worse for wear. After nine engagements in sweltering heat, meanwhile, King Charles appeared to have barely broken a sweat.
In temperatures that read 32C, but felt closer to 38C because of the stifling humidity, we had spent much of the day seeking refuge in air-conditioned buses to file copy between stops. But the monarch, immaculate in his linen suit and Serengeti shades, had kept up an impressive pace.
Granted, he had enjoyed a smoother start to the day than the rest of us. A neighbourhood-wide power cut had taken out the lifts in our Georgetown hotel and travelling journalists were left stranded on the upper floors with heavy suitcases and equipment.
Hauling enough luggage for a nine-day trip down 14 flights of stairs in semi-darkness was not the ideal warm-up for a gruelling day in the heat. But the first rule of royal tours is "Don’t miss the bus!” and with a meticulously planned schedule to stick to, the show very much had to stay on the road.
Given the security arrangements, we usually have to be in position long before t...