King Charles acknowledges ‘great suffering of the past’ as he begins controversial Caribbean tour

King Charles has begun his royal visit to the Caribbean by acknowledging “the great suffering of the past” in a speech within hours of landing.

The monarch arrived in The Bahamas on Tuesday (Wednesday morning in Australia), where he is facing calls to make reparations for Britain’s historic role in the transatlantic slave trade.

The nine-day tour has been described by various British media outlets as potentially being “the most difficult royal tour of his reign”.

In what was his first speech in the region since becoming monarch, Charles said: “Some of what is best in Bahamian culture today, the most joyful, the most hopeful, the most bright, was born out of darkness. 


“It is only right that we should acknowledge the great suffering and injustices of the past in these islands and beyond, even as we rejoice in the successes of the present and build new opportunities for the future.”

But King Charles stopped short of giving an apology.

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Before the start of the tour, Buckingham Palace said the king would not shy away from the “darkest days of our past” during his tour.

Saying sorry and talk of reparations are matters for the UK government, the palace said, which has previously ruled out any financial compensation.

The Caribbean tour will coincide with the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Antigua and Barbuda.

According to The Times, the issue of slavery reparations will be discussed when King Charles joins leaders at CHOGM next week.

Britain’s Prime Minister will attend alongside the king on Tuesday and has already said, via an official spokesperson: “I am clear we do not and will not pay reparations.”

The king’s arrival in the Bahamas has, so far, been a warm and welcome one.

Despite a small group of protesters in Nassau, some holding signs reading “pay us what you owe us”, the king was met with a large crowd of 1,000 schoolchildren at an event in Clifford Park.

He told the youngsters at the Future Bahamas Youth Rally: “Tonight it gives me enormous hope to see the way generations of Bahamians have carried the history, the legacy and the promise bequeathed to you by your ancestors, with pride in your hearts and purpose in your steps.

“You have not only carried their legacy, you have nurtured it and enhanced it, creatively and courageously.”

King Charles remains head of state in the Bahamas, but the country gained independence from Britain in 1973. He was at Clifford Park then, as Prince of Wales, for a ceremony marking the country’s independence.

The king used his speech on Tuesday to encourage the next generation to “take up your sacred task to play your part” in protecting the natural environment.

Buckingham Palace had earlier shared a photo of the king on board the royal plane, reviewing his notes and speech with a red pen.

After the Bahamas on Thursday, King Charles will continue to Guyana for a two-day state visit from Thursday through to Friday. King Charles will be there to mark 60 years of bilateral relations between the UK and Guyana.

He will then visit Antigua and Barbuda, where he will be joined by Queen Camilla, from Sunday through to Wednesday, November 4.

There the king and queen will attend CHOGM, two years after the previous summit in Samoa which followed Charles and Camilla’s visit to Australia in 2024.

King Charles will deliver a keynote speech as leader of the Commonwealth.

In the lead up to the Caribbean tour, there has been growing calls for the monarch to apologise over the royal family’s colonial past.

It’s an issue that has overshadowed the royal family’s relationship with the region for years, but the popularity of Queen Elizabeth II managed to keep the anger at bay throughout much of her 70-year reign.

Since Charles’ accession as monarch in 2022, questions around Britain’s role in slavery, and calls for reparations to its former colonies, have only grown.

When the Prince and Princess of Wales last toured the Caribbean in 2022 in celebration of the queen’s Platinum Jubilee year, the royal visit was not without its problems.

Over eight days, Prince William and Catherine travelled to Belize, Jamaica and the Bahamas in a tour that was marred by controversy, protests and calls for an apology from the British crown over its role in the slave trade.

Despite a large turnout from locals across the three nations, and a number of standout photo moments, the royal tour suffered several PR blunders that forced their team to rethink how best to conduct future tours and their relevance.

William and Catherine were sent there as part of a so-called charm offensive to prevent other Caribbean nations from cutting ties with the monarchy. The year before, Barbados dumped the queen as head of state and became a republic.

While in Jamaica, the prime minister Andrew Holness told William that the country was ready to “move on” and would sever ties with the monarchy as soon as possible.

The day before, William and Catherine had an unfortunate moment when they were photographed shaking hands with Jamaicans through a wire fence.

It took place in Trench Town, a suburb of the capital Kingston, where Bob Marley once lived.

Hours before, as William and Catherine landed in Jamaica, there had been a large protest outside the British High Commission, demanding an apology from the royals for Britain’s role in the slave trade, with the queen accused of perpetuating “the greatest human rights tragedy in history”.

Another moment of the tour criticised for its “colonial” overtones was a recreation of a moment from the Elizabeth II’s 1966 visit to Jamaica which saw her and Prince Philip ride in an open-air Land Rover.

The moment, and parts of the tour in general was called “tone deaf” and even a “disaster”.

During the visit, William did not ignore the past and denounced slavery as “abhorrent” and expressed his “profound sorrow”.

He said slavery "should never have happened" and "forever stains our history".