King Charles has arrived in the Bahamas for a nine-day tour of the Caribbean – the first time he has visited the region as monarch.
The King, wearing sunglasses and a grey suit, was given a ceremonial welcome at the airport and was greeted by the island’s Governor General Dame Cynthia A. Pratt and its Prime Minister Philip Edward.
Appearing at his first engagement, he told young people it is “only right” to “acknowledge the great suffering and injustices of the past”.
Buckingham Palace says the King will not shy away from “colonial legacy” and the impact of the slave trade during the visit but, in line with the UK government position, he will not apologise for Britain’s role in the slave trade.
But he will he offer not reparations – compensation from countries that took part in the slave trade.
Upon arriving on the island, he spoke with members of the Royal Bahamas Defence Force as he inspected a guard of honour on the runway.
The King was then met with cheers as he arrived for his first engagement at a youth rally at Clifford Park – where he attended the island’s independence celebrations as Prince of Wales in 1973.
During his speech, the King acknowledged his 50-year-long commitment to fighting climate change and highlighted the challenges faced by low-lying Caribbean islands, saying that “our world cries out for healing”.
He went on to call on the young people at the rally to “take up the sacred task to play your part” as “in years to come, this will be 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”.