King Charles begins Caribbean tour amid calls for slavery reparations

King Charles III landed in the Bahamas on Tuesday to start a nine-day tour that will also include Guyana and Antigua and Barbuda, where he and Queen Camilla are scheduled to attend the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM). The visit marks the monarch's first trip to the Caribbean as king and comes as pressure grows for Britain to address its historic involvement in the slave trade.

Commonwealth Secretary-General Shirley Botchwey told Sky News that discussions about reparations are overdue, adding, "It wouldn’t hurt to have that. That's what the countries have asked for. I don’t believe we can run away from it. But it is important to determine the form that reparations should take, and that is something that will emerge eventually."

Caricom Secretary-General Carla Barnett said the region views reparations as a matter of justice, stating, "The Caribbean has consistently asserted that reparations is fundamentally about justice. It is about recognition, accountability and transformation, and about building a just and equitable future for the descendants of those who endured suffering, loss of life and freedom."

Buckingham Palace indicated that the king will not issue a formal apology during the tour, describing such statements as matters for governments to address, while affirming he will not avoid confronting the darker chapters of British history.

At the 2024 CHOGM, Charles acknowledged that "the most painful aspects of our past continue to resonate," but stopped short of an official apology. UK Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said reparations are not a reasonable request, noting that while he is "sensitive to British history," past events should not be blamed on current generations.

Historical context notes that between the 15th and 19th centuries European merchants abducted at least 12.5 million Africans, with Britain estimated to have transported about 3.2 million. When slavery was abolished in 1834, the British government compensated slave owners with the modern equivalent of roughly £17 billion, while enslaved people received no compensation.