King acknowledges 'suffering of the past' as Caribbean tour begins

What the report says

King Charles III has begun a nine-day tour of the Caribbean, starting in the Bahamas, where he acknowledged the “great suffering of the past” and referred to historic injustices linked to slavery. According to BBC World News, the visit is his first as monarch and comes amid renewed calls from Caribbean countries for Britain to apologise for its role in the slave trade and consider reparations.

At a youth-focused event in Nassau, the King said the Bahamas’ culture was shaped through hardship and said it was right to recognise that history. He also met Governor General Dame Cynthia A. Pratt and Prime Minister Philip Davis, inspected a guard of honour and attended a rally at Clifford Park. BBC reported that a small group of protesters outside the venue called for reparations and the return of cultural artefacts.

The palace had said the trip would not avoid discussion of the colonial past, but that the UK government’s position remains against an apology or reparations. The tour is also expected to highlight climate change, biodiversity and other regional issues, especially in low-lying island states vulnerable to rising seas and extreme weather.

The visit will continue in Guyana later in the week and then in Antigua and Barbuda, where the King is due to join Queen Camilla for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting. BBC said the summit will bring together leaders from 56 Commonwealth countries to discuss shared challenges, including the Caribbean’s legacy of slavery.