King Charles III is set to acknowledge the "darkest days" of colonial rule and slavery during a visit to Caribbean countries, Buckingham Palace confirmed on Friday. The tour is scheduled to begin this month.
A palace spokesperson stated that the King's visit, running from 27 October to 4 November, would not "shy away from the 'darkest days of our past', as His Majesty has described them." The King will first visit the Bahamas and Guyana alone, followed by a trip to Antigua and Barbuda with Queen Camilla.
During the tour, Charles, 77, who is receiving cancer treatment, will visit former colonies that are now independent members of the British Commonwealth. The palace indicated that discussions about the colonial legacy and the slave trade are "important" but "primarily matters for governments to address." Last month, the UK government reiterated its rejection of calls for slavery reparations.