Buckingham Palace says King Charles's Caribbean tour, which begins on 27 October, will address Britain’s historical role in the transatlantic slave trade while also focusing on present and future relations with Antigua and Barbuda, the Bahamas and Guyana. Jamaica plans to present a petition asking the King to refer three legal questions on the legality of enslavement to the Privy Council. The palace reiterated the King's previous description of the slave trade as an "atrocity" that "forever stains our history," while Downing Street calls the trade "abhorrent" but maintains the UK will not pay reparations.
King Charles's Caribbean Tour Will Confront Britain’s Slave-Trade Legacy, Palace Says
[PA Media]
Buckingham Palace has said King Charles's forthcoming Caribbean tour will not avoid confronting what it described as "the darkest days of our past." The eight-day trip, which begins on 27 October, will include visits to Antigua and Barbuda, the Bahamas and Guyana and is expected to prompt renewed public discussion about Britain’s role in the transatlantic slave trade.
The King and Queen Camilla will attend the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in Antigua and Barbuda, with additional engagements planned in the Bahamas and Guyana. Palace officials say the visits will highlight contemporary ties and future cooperation while acknowledging historical issues.
Reparations, apologies and a petition from Jamaica
During the tour the monarch is likely to face calls to apologise for the UK’s role in slavery and questions about reparations. It is understood the UK government has not advised the King to offer an apology or to pay reparations ahead of the trip.
Jamaica has confirmed it will present a petition to the King in his role as head of state requesting that he refer three legal questions to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council about the legality of the enslavement of Africans in Jamaica. Olivia Grange, Jamaica’s culture minister, has said the petition will press these legal issues formally.
"There are important discussions taking place in various fora about colonial legacy and the intergenerational impact of the transatlantic trade in enslaved persons," a palace spokesperson said. The palace also noted that His Majesty has previously described the trade as an "atrocity" that "forever stains our history."
Downing Street has described the transatlantic slave trade as "abhorrent" but reiterated the UK government's position that it will not pay reparations. The palace emphasized that, while historical matters are being discussed publicly and politically, the tour will "principally be oriented to the vibrant present and promising future of each country."
The trip is likely to combine ceremonial and diplomatic duties with sensitive conversations about historical responsibility, legal questions and the long-term consequences of colonialism — matters that remain politically and emotionally significant across the Caribbean and beyond.
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