King Charles on Caribbean tour as calls grow for slavery reparations

King Charles began a nine-day tour of the Caribbean on October 27, starting with a visit to the Bahamas. He acknowledged "the great suffering of the past" but stopped short of apologizing or offering reparations for slavery. Campaigners and officials from countries like Jamaica are pressing him to take stronger action during his visits to Antigua, Guyana, and other nations. On October 31, Charles arrived in Antigua ahead of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), where he planned to address the lasting pain caused by the transatlantic slave trade with "unflinching honesty" and "sincere sorrow." The Prime Minister, Andy Burnham, stated his openness to apologizing for Britain’s role in slavery, prompting further demands for reparations from Caribbean nations.