King Charles opens Caribbean tour as slavery reparations pressure builds
What's next: Commonwealth leaders meet in Antigua this week with reparations expected on the agenda.
King Charles III began a nine-day Caribbean trip in the Bahamas on Oct. 27 as demands grew for Britain to apologize and make reparations for its role in the transatlantic slave trade. Charles acknowledged “the great suffering and injustices of the past” at a youth rally in Nassau, while protesters nearby held signs urging Britain to pay reparations. The king is set to visit Guyana before joining Queen Camilla in Antigua and Barbuda for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting from Nov. 1 to Nov. 4. Commonwealth Secretary-General Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey has said the time has come to discuss reparations, while Buckingham Palace has indicated Charles will address slavery’s legacy but stop short of a formal apology.