King Charles could face difficult questions about slavery and Britain’s colonial past during his upcoming royal tour of Antigua and Barbuda, the Bahamas, and Guyana.
Royal historian Sir Anthony Seldon described the trip as “the biggest risk of his reign so far.” He said many of the challenges would be outside the King’s control.
Seldon said questions about slavery, formal apologies, and reparations, or compensation for past harm, were putting the monarchy’s moral standing under scrutiny.
A Buckingham Palace spokesperson told the BBC that discussions were taking place about the lasting effects of colonial rule and the transatlantic slave trade.
The spokesperson said these issues were mainly for governments to address. However, they added that Charles had already described the slave trade as an “atrocity” that “forever stains our history.”
The tour also comes as the King continues cancer treatment. Buckingham Palace announced his diagnosis in 2024, shortly after he had surgery for an enlarged prostate. The type of cancer has not been made public.
At the end of 2025, Charles said his treatment would be reduced.
Meanwhile, Prince Harry was asked about his father’s health during an interview with GQ’s Zach Baron.
The interview touched on the loss of Harry’s mother, Princess Diana, and his father’s illness. Baron asked whether having a seriously ill parent could bring back painful feelings about his mother’s death.
