NASSAU, Bahamas, Oct 28, CMC – Britain’s King Charles stopped short of issuing an apology for slavery even as he acknowledged that the matter will be discussed when Commonwealth leaders meet in Antigua and Barbuda for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) from November 1.
In 2024, ahead of CHOGM in Samoa, Commonwealth leaders had said then that the time had come to have “truthful” and “respectful” conversations regarding reparations for the “abhorrent” transatlantic slave trade. .
Charles, who arrived here on Tuesday evening at the start of a nine-day visit to the Caribbean, said “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.
“I know that leaders of the governments of affected Commonwealth countries will be discussing these matters in Antigua and Barbuda next week,” he told a youth rally at Clifford Park in New Providence, referring to slavery as a “darkness” in the country’s history, alluding to one of the key issues that have clouded his Caribbean tour since it was announced.
But in a statement, the Bahamas National Reparations Committee (BNRC) said the culture of the country “is not born out of darkness; our culture was born out of agency and out of the will to survive despite the horrors, trauma, and degradation.
“We therefore do not need King Charles to tell us how outstanding our culture is. We know that being a Bahamian, being Caribbean, is a magnificent thing. We need him to speak about his role in the darkness and how he plans to atone for it actively. His comments fail to acknowledge that this “darkness” he speaks of did not just drop from the sky.
“The Royal Family and the British government were responsible for the darkness. His comments fall short of what justice requires — a full and formal apology — and they do not speak to the steps needed to remedy the wrongs committed in the name of the crown he wears. A few years ago now, the King acknowledged that the time had come to discuss slavery.”
It recalled that a “few years ago, he also stated that he was on a personal journey of discovery regarding his family’s legacy in this, the gravest crime against humanity. He should speak to us about what he has discovered and advance this conversation into actionable deliverables.”
The 77-year-old monarch said he was glad to be back Clifford Park, where he had such happy memories of representing his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, at the Independence celebrations in 1973.
“I can hardly believe that it has been 53 years since I stood here and watched the Bahamian flag raised for the very first time,” and recalling attending “ no less than three, three independence balls in one night.
“So today, I can only invite you to take up the sacred task to play your part in the way that you build for yourselves and your own descendants truly sustainable futures. In the way you hold steady sunward, you have the chance to show the world how it truly is better in The Bahamas.”
King Charles will also make a state visit to Guyana before travelling to Antigua and Barbuda for the COGHM.
CMC/jf/ir/2026