King Charles III opened his Caribbean tour in the Bahamas on Tuesday, acknowledging “the great suffering of the past” amid mounting pressure for a formal apology for the transatlantic slave trade.
The 77-year-old monarch, currently undergoing treatment for an undisclosed form of cancer, will also draw attention to climate threats facing low-lying island nations during a nine-day visit spanning three countries.
Charles will undertake solo engagements in the Bahamas and Guyana before being joined by Queen Camilla for the final leg in Antigua and Barbuda, where he is set to address the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM).
“Some of the very best in Bahamian culture today—its joy, its hope, its brightness—was born out of darkness,” the king said at a youth rally.
“It is only right that we acknowledge the profound suffering and injustices of the past in these islands and beyond, even as we celebrate present successes and work to build new opportunities for the future,” he added.
The monarch noted that leaders from affected Commonwealth nations will discuss the matter in Antigua and Barbuda next week. According to Commonwealth Secretary-General Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, slavery reparations will be on the agenda.
Several former colonies have pressed the king to take meaningful steps toward atoning for colonization and the transatlantic slave trade, which enriched his ancestors for centuries.
Upon arriving at the rally—held at the historic site where The Bahamas gained independence in 1973—protesters waved placards demanding, “Pay what you owe us.”
Last month, Jamaica, where Charles remains head of state, filed a petition with a London appeals court to advance its claim for reparations for African ancestors who endured centuries of enslavement.
Charles has previously described slavery as the “darkest days” of British history and intends to address colonial legacies throughout the tour.
Royal observers have not forgotten Prince William and Princess Catherine’s 2022 Jamaica visit, which was met with anti-monarchy demonstrations and reparations demands.
Guyanese President Irfaan Ali, scheduled to meet with Charles during the visit, told ITV News that the king’s acknowledgment of slavery’s “darkest days” represents only a “first step.”
“Moving to a formal apology is the next step,” Ali said, calling for accountability from a former empire that he claimed “exploited the region,” “destroyed lives,” and “created underdevelopment.”
While modern monarchs have expressed varying degrees of remorse for Britain’s central role in chattel slavery, none has issued a formal apology. The UK government, burdened by debt, has resisted calls for financial compensation.
Speaking to Sky News ahead of the November 1–4 summit, Botchwey suggested that a royal apology “wouldn’t hurt.”
The secretary-general also declared that the “time has come” to discuss reparations, whether through financial payments or other means.
Climate Resilience
Buckingham Palace has maintained that the tour offers the king a chance to look ahead, engage with young people, and address urgent issues such as climate change.
During his Bahamas address, Charles emphasized the acute risks climate change poses to low-lying islands.
“In a nation where 90 percent of the land sits below two meters—approximately six feet, six inches—there is perhaps no better place than the Bahamas to grasp the reality of climate change threatening communities across the Commonwealth,” he said. “Our world cries out for healing.”
According to Botchwey, the Commonwealth—a 56-member bloc led by the king—serves as a vital anchor in a “world that is almost spinning out of control.”
“This CHOGM will be unlike any before,” the secretary-general told AFP. The meeting in St. John’s is expected to focus on investment and trade opportunities for member states.
A longtime advocate for environmental causes, Charles will meet with organizations including a coral restoration project in Antigua and Barbuda and a rainforest conservation initiative in Guyana.
“Many of the countries most affected by climate change are not polluters, yet they bear the brunt of its impact,” Botchwey said, adding that the summit will also address climate resilience programs.
Though she declined to specify whether the UK government or royal family should pursue slavery reparations, Botchwey confirmed the issue will be discussed in St. John’s.