Families of four Royal Bahamas Defence Force (RBDF) Marines who died when Cuban MiG fighter aircraft sunk HMBS Flamingo in May 1980, after a dispute over illegal fishing, will meet the King during his day in the Bahamian capital Nassau.
Charles will lay a wreath at the Flamingo monument erected at the RBDF headquarters.
The King is on the second day of a nine-day tour of the Caribbean, and will sit down for talks with the Bahamas’ prime minister and governor general.
He will hold an audience with the Caribbean nation’s premier Philip Davis.
A separate meeting is planned with Dame Cynthia Pratt, his official representative in the country.
The head of state began the tour on Tuesday by acknowledging the “great suffering of the past” and confirmed Commonwealth leaders will discuss the legacy of slavery at a major summit next week which he will open.
Speaking at an event celebrating Bahamas youth and staged where the country’s independence from the UK was declared, he said its culture was “born out of darkness”.
His visit comes in the wake of renewed calls from Caribbean nations for Britain to apologise for its role in selling enslaved people for profit and for reparations.
Charles will end his day at a garden reception at Government House, where he will meet Bahamians who have made significant contributions to national life through voluntary, public, community and charitable service.
Former prime ministers of the Bahamas will also be among the guests alongside members of the country’s cabinet.
The Prime Minister Andy Burnham and Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband will join the King in Antigua for the gathering of Commonwealth leaders.
The UK Government’s position on reparations is well established, it acknowledges the trade in enslaved people was abhorrent and its impact is still felt today, but it will not pay financial reparations for historical acts that did not break international laws at the time and is committed to continued dialogue with Commonwealth nations.
A Buckingham Palace spokesperson said: “At the request of host Governments, the King’s programme will primarily focus on shining a light on the many modern partnerships and opportunities for the future that are having a transformative effect on the region, as it confronts the challenges of today.
“For His Majesty, this tour is both a new journey but also the continuance of a lifelong one, in which he has sought to engage, understand and educate about the most shameful aspects of our past.
“This will therefore also be reflected in differing ways and words during the tour, as you would expect.”
