King Charles has arrived in the Bahamas to begin a nine-day tour of the Caribbean, where he is expected to acknowledge "the great suffering" caused by Britain's historic role in the transatlantic slave trade. In a speech later today, just hours after touching down for the royal visit, Charles is set to reflect on colonial legacy issues and say: "Some of what is best in Bohemian culture today, the most joyful, the most hopeful, the brightest - was born out of darkness."
He will continue: "It is only right that we should acknowledge the great suffering 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."
Ceremonial Welcome at the Airport
Charles, who will be joined by the Queen later in the trip, touched down at Lynden Pindling International Airport shortly after 4pm local time, 8pm in the UK, where he received a large ceremonial welcome to mark the start of his royal visit. He was met on the tarmac by half a dozen dignitaries, including Prime Minister Philip David and a Guard of Honour comprising 96 members of the Royal Bahamas Police Force and the Royal Bahamas Defence Force.
As the King stood on a dais to receive a Royal Salute, the two regiments played the national anthem of the Bahamas, after which the King inspected the Guard of Honour. Just minutes before his arrival, Buckingham Palace shared a new picture of him on the plane and revealed what the monarch likes to get up to when flying.
Tour Themes and Colonial Legacy
Charles will spend two days in the Bahamas before flying on to Guyana and then Antigua and Barbuda for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), where Camilla will join him. While the King's autumn tour is primarily about celebrating the present and future of each country, at the request of each government, Charles is cognisant of the ongoing discussions concerning the UK's colonial legacy in the Caribbean.
As a result, he will acknowledge "the great suffering of the past" in each of his three visits, and engagements have been planned to allow him to pause and reflect on the transatlantic slave trade. The King is set to address it in a speech at the Youth Rally on Tuesday evening, making clear that CHOGM leaders will discuss these issues in Antigua and Barbuda next week, and that the King is also expected to further touch upon the matter in his opening address.
Climate Focus and Youth Engagement
The King, who has put climate change at the heart of his work for over 50 years, will also reflect on its impact on low-lying islands. "Our world cries out for healing" on this critical issue, Charles will say, and will call on the young attendees at the rally to "take up the sacred task to play your part" in this undertaking. He will continue: "In years to come, this will surely be the measure of every person - how they answered the call to care for Planet Earth - the source of our life, our prosperity and our security."
The King's first speech of the tour will conclude by sharing his delight at arriving in the Bahamas. Each of the three visits has different broad overarching themes that touch upon the King's 'four C's' that underpin his reign: climate, community, culture and Commonwealth. The royal visit to the Bahamas focuses on young people and youth opportunities to reflect that 60% of the Commonwealth are under the age of 30; the state visit to Guyana will focus on climate, and Antigua and Barbuda will showcase heritage and history.
A Palace spokesperson said: "At the request of host Governments, the King's programme will primarily focus on shining a light on the many modern partnerships and opportunities for the future that are having a transformative effect on the region, as it confronts the challenges of today. For His Majesty, this tour is both a new journey but also the continuance of a lifelong one, in which he has sought to engage, understand and educate about the most shameful aspects of our past. This will therefore also be reflected in differing ways and words during the tour, as you would expect."
