King acknowledges ‘suffering of the past’ as Caribbean tour begins

King Charles has arrived in the Bahamas for a nine-day tour of the Caribbean, marking his first visit to the region as monarch.

The King, wearing sunglasses and a grey suit, received a ceremonial welcome at the airport before attending a youth rally.

Ahead of the trip, Buckingham Palace said the King would not shy away from discussing Britain’s colonial legacy and the impact of the slave trade during the visit. However, in line with the UK government’s position, he will not apologise for Britain’s role in the slave trade or offer reparations.

At his first engagement, the King told young people it was “only right” to “acknowledge the great suffering and injustices of the past”.

Upon arriving on the island, he met the Bahamas’ Governor-General, Dame Cynthia A. Pratt, and Prime Minister Philip Edward Davis before inspecting a guard of honour and speaking with members of the Royal Bahamas Defence Force on the runway.

The King was later greeted with cheers as he arrived at a youth rally at Clifford Park. He had attended the island’s independence celebrations at the same venue as Prince of Wales in 1973.

During his speech, Charles reflected on his 50-year commitment to fighting climate change and highlighted the challenges facing low-lying Caribbean islands, saying that “our world cries out for healing”.

He urged the young people at the rally to “take up the sacred task to play your part”, adding that future generations would be judged by how they responded to the call to care for the planet.

“In years to come, this will surely be the measure of every person – how they answered the call to care for planet Earth, the source of our life, our prosperity and our security,” he said.

Buckingham Palace said opportunities for the King to reflect on the legacy of the slave trade had been incorporated into his schedule in all three countries, including visits to memorials and other places of remembrance.

A palace spokesperson told the BBC that the King’s programme would primarily focus on highlighting modern partnerships and future opportunities, particularly those having a transformative effect on the region.

For Charles, the spokesperson added, the tour represented both a new journey and the continuation of a lifelong commitment to engaging with, understanding and educating people about the most shameful aspects of Britain’s past.

The palace said the nine-day visit had been planned in collaboration with the governments of the Bahamas, Guyana, and Antigua and Barbuda, with an emphasis on honouring the past while looking towards opportunities for future generations.

The King is expected to travel to Guyana later this week, where his engagements will focus on the environment and biodiversity.

He will then visit Antigua and Barbuda, where Queen Camilla will join him for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), at which he is scheduled to deliver a keynote address as head of the Commonwealth.

CHOGM is a biennial summit that brings together leaders of 56 Commonwealth countries to discuss shared challenges and strengthen cooperation.

Credit: BBC