Palace says King will address slavery’s legacy on Caribbean visit

King Charles is due to address the legacy of slavery during a Caribbean visit later this month, Buckingham Palace said, as calls for reparations and an apology are expected to feature in discussions with Commonwealth countries. The Palace has not specified what the King will say or do, while the UK government says it will not pay financial reparations for the transatlantic slave trade. A Buckingham Palace spokesperson said the visit programme would not “shy away from the darkest days of our past,” referring to Britain’s role in the trade and slavery’s continuing effects. The spokesperson said colonial legacy and slavery were primarily matters for governments, and that the programme would also focus on each country’s present and future. The King is scheduled to visit The Bahamas and Guyana before attending the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Antigua and Barbuda with Queen Camilla. The reports give conflicting dates for the meeting and related royal engagements, so the precise schedule is unclear. The visit is expected to include discussions of colonial history and reparatory justice, but the specific form of the King’s acknowledgment has not been announced.