King Charles addresses 'shameful' history of transatlantic slave trade

King Charles III began a nine-day tour of the Caribbean on October 27, visiting the Bahamas, Guyana, and finally Antigua and Barbuda, where he addressed the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) on November 3. During his visit to the Bahamas, King Charles acknowledged "the great suffering of the past," but stopped short of issuing a formal apology for Britain's role in the transatlantic slave trade. Instead, at CHOGM, he expressed his “most profound personal sorrow” over the “monstrous injustice,” emphasizing that while acknowledging historical wrongs is essential, the focus should also be on future actions to combat contemporary issues like climate change and economic hardship. Campaigners warn that unless Charles addresses the monarchy’s historic links to slavery more directly, several Caribbean countries might accelerate efforts to remove him as head of state.