King Charles will confront the history of the transatlantic slave trade during an eight-day tour of The Bahamas, Guyana and Antigua and Barbuda, but he will not apologise or offer reparations. Buckingham Palace said the programme would not avoid what the King has called “the darkest days of our past”, and that he would renew his commitment to recognising past wrongs and tackling inequalities that persist.
The limits on what he can say come from the government. A Palace spokesman said these questions are mainly for governments to settle and that the King always acts on ministers’ advice, while stressing that his earlier statements on slavery, which he has condemned as an atrocity, had been clear. He will refer to the past several times during the trip, through visits to related sites and in a series of speeches. In line with the wishes of the host nations, though, most of the programme will focus on each country’s present and future, and it was drawn up in close consultation with their governments.
The visit comes as pressure grows for Britain to make a formal apology and pay compensation for the harm caused by the slave trade, an issue expected to come up at this year’s Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting. A Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office spokesperson said the government regards the trade as abhorrent and accepts that its effects endure, but has been clear that it “will not pay financial reparations”. It prefers dialogue and forward-looking partnerships with Commonwealth countries.
The itinerary is built around young people and the natural world. In The Bahamas the King will attend a Youth Rally, visit the Royal Bahamas Defence Force, learn about conservation work on New Providence and watch a Junkanoo parade in Nassau. In Georgetown, Guyana, he will have an audience with President Irfaan Ali, attend a state reception and meet young environmentalists, as well as hear about efforts to protect the country’s tropical forests, which featured in the Prime Video documentary Finding Harmony: A King’s Vision earlier this year.
In Antigua and Barbuda, the King and Queen Camilla will attend a church service for Independence Day and the annual Independence Parade at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, meeting some of the country’s cricket greats. The Queen will also focus on efforts to end violence against women and girls and meet students taking part in the Queen’s Commonwealth Writing Competition, and the pair will visit a beach to meet groups protecting the coastline.
