The King will begin his tour of the Caribbean by acknowledging the “great suffering of the past” and confirm Commonwealth leaders will discuss the legacy of slavery at a summit he will open.
Charles arrived in the Bahamas to a ceremonial welcome and later will attend a youth parade where he is due to deliver a speech saying some of the nation’s 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.
The nine-day regional tour, which includes a solo state visit to Guyana, will culminate in the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) hosted by Antigua and Barbuda and presided over by the King, joined by the Queen, in his role as head of the “family of Nations”.
Charles is expected to tell young people and guests: “Some of what is best in Bahamian culture today, the most joyful, the most hopeful, the most bright, was born out of darkness.
“It is only right that we should acknowledge the great suffering of the past in these islands and beyond, even as we rejoice in the successes of the present and build new opportunities for the future.”
The King will make clear that CHOGM leaders will discuss matters around the legacy of slavery next week in Antigua.
He will add: “Tonight it gives me enormous hope to see the way generations of Bahamians have carried the history, the legacy and the promise bequeathed to you by your ancestors, with pride in your hearts and purpose in your steps.
“You have not only carried their legacy; you have nurtured and enhanced it, creatively and courageously, and we have seen tonight what a wonderful gift it is to the Bahamas and to the world.”
The Bahamas trip is a solo visit for Charles, who will speak at the Future Bahamas Youth Rally and Exhibition at Clifford Park, the historic site where the Bahamas officially gained its Independence in 1973.
The King, then Prince of Wales, attended the independence celebrations to deliver a formal message from Queen Elizabeth II to Bahamians.
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