![King Charles Caribbean Tour: Slavery Reparations P](https://cdn.slatesource.com/8/2/c/82cb76de-2fa5-4456-88f7-2d5503bf8ae4.webp) # King Charles Caribbean Tour: Slavery Reparations P - [Made in Slatesource](https://slatesource.com/@steph/king-charles-caribbean-tour-slavery-reparations-p) - By [Steph](https://slatesource.com/@steph) - Created on Oct 28, 2026 NOW Last updated 2026-10-28 00:00 UTC. Built from BBC News (23:16 UTC), France24 (23:14 UTC), Al Jazeera, CNN/AP, ABC News, UPI, ITV, Jamaica Observer, Commonwealth secretariat. Updated Oct 2026 ## What we know King Charles III arrived in Nassau, The Bahamas, on 27 October 2026, beginning a nine-day Caribbean tour. It is his first official visit to the Bahamas as king. The Bahamian government closed all public schools on the island of New Providence to welcome him. At Clifford Park in Nassau, the same site where he granted the Bahamas independence in 1973 as Prince of Wales, Charles said: "It is only right that we should acknowledge the great suffering and injustices of the past in these islands and beyond." Buckingham Palace confirmed he will not formally apologise for Britain's role in the slave trade, following UK government policy. He will attend the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Antigua and Barbuda from 1 to 4 November 2026, where slavery reparations are expected to be a central topic. **9** Days of the Caribbean tour (Bahamas, Guyana, Antigua and Barbuda) **56** Commonwealth nations represented at CHOGM in Antigua and Barbuda King Charles arrives Bahamas 27 October 2026 CHOGM dates 1-4 November 2026, St John's, Antigua and Barbuda Commonwealth nations at CHOGM 56 CARICOM investment projects submitted for CHOGM $34 billion Africans enslaved in British territories 1660-1807 More than 3 million Estimated deaths crossing the Atlantic Up to 400,000 Bahamas 2023 poll: favour becoming a republic 51% Bahamas 2023 poll: favour retaining British monarchy 27% Jamaica's reparations petition referred to Privy Council September 2026 ## What is not known yet It is not known what specific language Charles will use when he addresses CHOGM on 3 November. The UK government has not announced any change to its position against financial reparations. The research commissioned by Buckingham Palace into the monarchy's links to slavery, expected to conclude in September 2026, has not been made publicly available. It is not confirmed whether reparations will appear on the official CHOGM agenda or only in side discussions. Key events: King Charles, the Caribbean, and reparations01.01.1807 – 27.10.2026 British Crown begins financing the transatlantic slave trade under Charles II. 01.01.1807Britain abolishes the slave trade; more than 3 million Africans had been shipped. 01.01.1807 01.01.1834Slavery abolished in British Empire; slave owners paid 20 million pounds compensation. 01.01.1834 10.07.1973Prince Charles grants the Bahamas independence at Clifford Park, Nassau. 10.07.1973 01.11.2021Then-Prince Charles visits Barbados; calls slavery an "appalling atrocity." 01.11.2021 01.01.2023Lord Ashcroft Poll: 51% of Bahamians want the country to become a republic. 01.01.2023 07.09.2026Jamaica formally files slavery reparations petition with King Charles in London. 07.09.2026 23.09.2026Charles refers Jamaica's petition to the Privy Council (UK's highest Caribbean court of appeal). 23.09.2026 27.10.2026Charles arrives in Nassau; acknowledges "great suffering and injustices of the past." 27.10.2026 CHOGM, St John's, Antigua and Barbuda; reparations expected on agenda. > It is only right that we should acknowledge the great suffering and injustices of the past in these islands and beyond, even as we rejoice in the successes of the present. > > — abcnews.com > You exploited the region. You destroyed lives. You created underdevelopment. > > — aljazeera.com ## Reparations debate: what each side says Caribbean nations, through CARICOM, are calling for a full formal apology, debt cancellation, repatriation support, and investment in public health and education. Jamaica's petition to the Privy Council asks the court to rule on whether the enslavement of Africans was ever lawful under English law, and whether Britain has a legal obligation to provide a remedy. The UK government's position, restated by Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds on 27 October, is that reparations are not "a reasonable request" and that past events should not be attributed to current generations. Buckingham Palace says Charles will not shy away from the "most shameful aspects of our past" but can only act on the advice of his ministers under the UK constitutional settlement. What to watch next 0% \- 2026-10-28 to 30: Charles continues Bahamas visit; meets Royal Bahamas Defence Force and civil society leaders. \- 2026-10-29 to 30: State visit to Guyana; President Ali expected to press reparations. \- 2026-10-30: Queen Camilla joins the tour in Antigua and Barbuda. \- 2026-11-01 to 04: CHOGM, St John's; all 56 member nations attend; reparations likely to feature in leaders' sessions and People's Forum. \- 2026-11-03: Charles addresses CHOGM opening ceremony. \- Ongoing: Privy Council review of Jamaica's reparations petition; ruling timeline unknown. \- Ongoing: Whether Buckingham Palace publishes its research into the monarchy's slavery links. How we know this. Charles's arrival and Clifford Park speech: ABC News/AP (27 October, updated 23:25 UTC), BBC News (23:16 UTC), France24 (23:14 UTC), ITV. Tour itinerary and CHOGM dates: Commonwealth Secretariat official website (thecommonwealth.org), CHOGM 2026 official site (chogm26.gov.ag). Jamaica petition and Privy Council referral: Al Jazeera (September 2026), Washington Post (23 September 2026). Reparations statistics: CARICOM Reparations Commission, PBS NewsHour background. UK governmen [ABC News (AP): King Charles III arrives in Bahamas for official Caribbean trip](https://abcnews.com/Entertainment/wireStory/king-charles-iii-arrives-bahamas-official-caribbean-trip-137618712?utm_source=slatesource) [France24: King Charles confronts calls for slavery apology during Caribbean tour](https://www.france24.com/en/americas/20261027-king-charles-slavery-apology-caribbean-tour?utm_source=slatesource) [Al Jazeera: King Charles's Caribbean tour: will he discuss slavery reparations?](https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/10/27/king-charless-caribbean-tour-will-he-discuss-slavery-reparations?utm_source=slatesource) [ITV News: King begins tour of Caribbean as calls grow for slavery apology](https://www.itv.com/news/2026-10-27/king-begins-tour-of-caribbean-as-calls-grow-for-slavery-apology?utm_source=slatesource) [UPI: Long shadow of slavery looms over King Charles as he heads to Caribbean](https://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2026/10/27/Bahamas-King-Charles-Caribbean-tour/2111793106070?utm_source=slatesource) [Jamaica Observer: King Charles to tackle thorny legacy of slavery on Caribbean trip](https://www.jamaicaobserver.com/2026/10/27/king-charles-tackle-thorny-legacy-slavery-caribbean-trip/?utm_source=slatesource) [Commonwealth Secretariat: CHOGM 2026 official information](https://thecommonwealth.org/chogm-2026?utm_source=slatesource) [CHOGM 2026 official website (Antigua and Barbuda government)](https://chogm26.gov.ag/?utm_source=slatesource)