King Charles III (77) started a nine-day Caribbean visit on Tuesday amid growing demands for Britain to apologise and pay compensation for its role in the slave trade.

The monarch, who continues to receive treatment for cancer, will travel to the Bahamas, Guyana, and Antigua and Barbuda. He previously described the slave trade as the “darkest days” of British history.

Charles will visit the Bahamas and Guyana alone before Queen Camilla joins him in Antigua and Barbuda for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) from 1 to 4 November.

Jamaica pushes for accountability

A Buckingham Palace spokesperson said the tour will “not shy away from ‘the darkest days of our past’”.

Jamaica filed a petition in a London appeals court last month to advance its claim for reparations. The Caribbean nation wants compensation for ancestors who endured hundreds of years of enslavement.

Prince William and Princess Catherine faced anti-monarchy protests and reparations demands during their 2022 Jamaica visit.

Guyana’s President Irfaan Ali told ITV News that Charles acknowledging the “darkest days” marks just the “first step”.

“Now, moving to the apology is the next step,” Ali said. He accused the former empire of exploiting the region, destroying lives and creating underdevelopment.

No formal apology yet

Modern British monarchs have expressed remorse for Britain’s role in slavery, but none has formally apologised. The UK government has rejected financial compensation.

Commonwealth Secretary-General Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey told Sky News it “wouldn’t hurt” for the king to apologise. She said the “time has come” to discuss reparations, whether through financial payments or other means.

Climate and youth on agenda

Buckingham Palace says the tour will focus on future challenges like climate change rather than dwelling on the past.

Charles will attend cultural events, meet young leaders and participate in independence celebrations in Antigua and Barbuda.

Botchwey described the Commonwealth, which includes 56 member countries with Charles as its head, as an anchor in a “world that is almost spinning out of control”.

ALSO READ: King Charles to address colonial ‘darkest days’ on Caribbean tour

The St John’s summit will focus on investment and trade opportunities for member countries.

Charles, a long-time environmental campaigner, will visit organisations working on coral restoration in Antigua and Barbuda and rainforest conservation in Guyana.

“Many of these countries that are affected by climate are not polluters, and yet they feel the brunt of the effects of climate,” Botchwey told AFP. She said CHOGM will address climate resilience schemes.

Botchwey confirmed reparations will feature in discussions at the summit.

“What will happen in Antigua and Barbuda may be that the leaders will have a discussion on reparatory justice,” she said. The Commonwealth would “support” countries in these talks.

She added that the organisation “has never shied away from difficult situations”.

ALSO READ: The prickly issue of financial compensation for slavery