King Charles opens Caribbean tour by acknowledging "great suffering and injustices of the past"

As of 9:25 a.m. ET, Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2026

King Charles III began a nine-day Caribbean tour in the Bahamas on Tuesday by acknowledging "the great suffering and injustices of the past," as he faces calls for Britain to apologize and pay reparations for slavery.

"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," the king said at the Future Youth Rally at Clifford Park in Nassau, according to the text of the speech published by the Royal Family. "I know that leaders of the governments of affected Commonwealth countries will be discussing these matters in Antigua and Barbuda next week."

He said that "some of what is best in Bahamian culture today – the most joyful, the most hopeful, the most bright – was born out of darkness," and pointed to the Junkanoo tradition as a "living witness" to how that culture has been passed down.

No apology planned

Before the trip, Buckingham Palace said the king would not shy away from the "colonial legacy" and the impact of the slave trade, but that, in line with the UK government's position, he would not apologize for Britain's role or offer reparations, the BBC reported. A palace spokesperson told the BBC the tour was "the continuance of a lifelong one, in which he has sought to engage, understand and educate about the most shameful aspects of our past."

A group of about a dozen protesters gathered outside the rally, chanting "pay us what you owe us," the BBC and ITV News reported.

The tour

The tour runs from Oct. 27 to Nov. 4 and includes the Bahamas, Guyana and Antigua and Barbuda, where the king will attend the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, according to the Royal Family's announcement. Queen Camilla will join him in Antigua and Barbuda. In the Bahamas, the program includes engagements on environmental conservation and a visit to Parliament Square. In Guyana, he is set to attend biodiversity events and meet the National Toshaos Council, which represents Indigenous communities.

Charles last visited Clifford Park in 1973, when, as Prince of Wales, he represented Queen Elizabeth II at the Bahamas' independence celebrations, he said in the speech. He also spoke about climate change, saying that in a country "where ninety percent of the land sits below two metres," the threat is especially clear. "Our world cries out for healing," he said.