King Charles has been issued a warning ahead of his visit to the Bahamas this autumn. The King and Queen Camilla will be embarking on the visit between October 27 and November 4.
Ahead of his visit, Dr Niambi Hall Campbell-Dean, who is the chair of the Bahamas National Reparations Committee (BNRC), said that the King “should come prepared to apologise for the horrific legacy”. Activists on the Caribbean island have also issued a warning that he “don’t come empty-handed”.
Call to confront colonial legacy
They have said that the monarch should confront the enduring legacy of slavery and British colonial rule. The Bahamas National Reparations Committee also reveals that it plans to invite the King to meet with them.
Speaking to the Mirror, Dr Campbell-Dean added: “The link between the British Crown and slavery is undeniable. For King Charles to come to our island and not be prepared to apologise for the wrongs of the past is unacceptable.
“Our message is loud and clear: don’t come here empty-handed.
“The Bahamas stands at a crucial time in our history, 53 years after independence, but the underdevelopment of the country alongside a public health crisis and climate change affecting our everyday way of life, the time for change is now, and reparations are a huge part of redirecting our future.”
Monarchy and reparations
The committee also states that the British monarchy was the greatest beneficiary of slavery, although it must pay compensation for its enduring economic and social legacy.
Revealing the King and Queen's tour back in August, the visit will “celebrate the communities, cultures and nature within the Commonwealth family”.
During his visit in 2021, the monarch, who was the Prince of Wales at the time, acknowledged the “appalling atrocity of slavery” the Caribbean island suffered during a speech he made.
