King Charles will not avoid discussing Britain’s role in the transatlantic slave trade during his Caribbean visit later this month, Buckingham Palace said on Friday.
Charles and Queen Camilla are due to visit the Bahamas and Guyana before travelling to Antigua and Barbuda. There, the King will attend the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, scheduled for November 1 to 4.
The visit comes as Caribbean and African nations increase calls for Britain and other former colonial powers to pay reparations, or compensation, for slavery. The issue is expected to feature in discussions at the meeting.
The British government has ruled out paying reparations. Charles, who remains head of state in several Caribbean countries, including the Bahamas and Antigua and Barbuda, has previously expressed sorrow over slavery.
A palace spokesperson said the trip would recognise the lasting effects of colonial rule and the slave trade.
The visit would not avoid what Charles has called “the darkest days of our past”, the spokesperson said. However, at the host countries’ request, it would focus mainly on their lives today and hopes for the future.
Between the 15th and 19th centuries, European merchants abducted and sold at least 12.5 million Africans into slavery. Britain transported an estimated 3.2 million enslaved people, more than any other European country except Portugal.
Charles has supported research into the monarchy’s historical links to slavery. He also heads the Commonwealth, a group of 56 countries, mostly former British colonies, with a combined population of about 2.7 billion.
Last month, Jamaica’s government formally asked Charles to seek legal advice on whether Britain should pay reparations. It said it was encouraged by Buckingham Palace’s response.
The palace spokesperson said Charles had spent years recognising past wrongs and supporting efforts to address inequalities that continue today. The visit would give him opportunities to reaffirm that commitment.
In February, Commonwealth Secretary-General Shirley Botchwey told Reuters she expected member countries to make progress towards starting talks on reparations.
