King Charles heads to Caribbean as calls for slavery reparations grow

King Charles embarks on a Caribbean tour this week amid growing calls for Britain to pay reparations for its role in the transatlantic slave trade. The royal couple, King Charles and Queen Camilla, will visit the Bahamas, Guyana, Antigua, and Barbuda before attending the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in November. Charles previously expressed deep sorrow over slavery at a 2022 Commonwealth leaders' meeting.

The Caribbean Community (CARICOM), which includes the Bahamas, Barbados, and Jamaica, has demanded that reparations be discussed at the CHOGM. CARICOM Secretary-General Carla Barnett emphasized that reparations are about justice, recognition, accountability, and transformation, aiming to build a just and equitable future for descendants of enslaved people.

Buckingham Palace maintains that the monarch will acknowledge Britain's involvement in the slave trade during his tour but will not formally apologize or offer financial reparations, adhering to British government policy.

Shirley Botchwey, the Commonwealth's secretary-general, called for discussions about reparations during the tour, noting it is time to address past injustices, which could include financial compensation or returning artifacts. The 15th to 19th centuries saw the forced migration of at least 12.5 million Africans to European colonies, with Britain transporting an estimated 3.2 million people, making it the second-largest exporter of enslaved Africans after Portugal.