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King Charles will not shy away from slavery issue during Caribbean tour, Buckingham Palace says
King Charles III will tour the Caribbean from October 27 to November 4, visiting the Bahamas, Guyana, and Antigua and Barbuda. Buckingham Palace officials stated the monarch will not "shy away from the 'darkest days of our past'" during the trip.
Growing demands for reparations from Caribbean and African nations have placed the legacy of the transatlantic slave trade at the forefront of Commonwealth relations. Britain is responsible for transporting an estimated 3.2 million people into slavery between the 15th and 19th centuries.
The British government maintains the slave trade was abhorrent but has ruled out paying financial reparations. Palace officials said the colonial legacy is "important" but "primarily matters for governments to address."
Reparations are expected to be a key topic at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting , held in Antigua and Barbuda from November 1 to 4. Caribbean leaders continue pressing for progress.
Several Caribbean nations, including the Bahamas, have indicated desires to follow Barbados in becoming republics. Despite this, the King remains head of state in the Bahamas and Antigua and Barbuda, fulfilling a largely ceremonial role.