King Charles lands in The Bahamas later today at the start of his Caribbean tour, where campaigners are pressing him to apologise for Britain's role in the slave trade. Just hours before his arrival, Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said reparations are not a “reasonable request”.
Charles will spend several days in The Bahamas before a state visit to Guyana. He will also attend the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) during his trip to Antigua and Barbuda with the Queen.
Minister rejects reparations calls
Reynolds told Sky News he was “sensitive to British history” and that “we should be able to talk about it”, but said past events should not be attributed to current generations. He said: “But in terms of the kind of economic claims being put forward, I just don’t see how that is a legitimate request to put to, say, my constituents about what they themselves have done.
“I think it might be perhaps a difference in an individual, a family sense, your own personal wealth, but in terms of the relationship between two countries, I don’t think it’s a reasonable request.” He added: “I think you know the role the UK has played in the world. I understand some people see that as a mixed record, but I don’t think it’s legitimate to make that request of the UK in terms of current generations.”
Campaigners demand apology
The Bahamas National Reparations Committee has warned the King not to arrive “empty-handed” and wants a formal apology for the Crown’s links to slavery and colonialism. Its chair, Dr Niambi Hall Campbell-Dean, told the Mirror: “For [King Charles] to come to our island and not be prepared to apologise for the wrongs of the past is unacceptable.”
Guyana President Mohamed Irfaan Ali said recently that Charles had recognised slavery as the darkest days in human history, but moving to the apology was “the next step”. Earlier this month, Commonwealth Secretary-General Shirley Botchwey said it “wouldn’t hurt” when asked if the King should apologise.
Palace confirms no formal apology
Buckingham Palace has said the King will not issue a formal apology, but will take part in reflections of the region’s past and links to the slave trade. A spokesperson said: “There are important discussions taking place in various fora about colonial legacy and the intergenerational impact of the transatlantic trade in enslaved persons.
“While these are primarily matters for Governments to address, His Majesty’s previous statements on them have been unequivocal, describing them as an ‘atrocity’ which ‘forever stains our history’.” The spokesperson added that the visit programme will not shy away from “the darkest days of our past”, but will be oriented to the vibrant present and promising future of each country.
Charles, head of the Commonwealth, acknowledged the “appalling atrocity of slavery”, describing it as something “which forever stains our history”, when he attended the ceremony marking Barbados’ historic transition to a republic in 2021. A year later, he described how he was continuing to “deepen my own understanding of slavery’s enduring impact” in a speech at a Commonwealth summit hosted by Rwanda.
