King Charles faces renewed calls for slavery apology, reparations on Caribbean tour: “Pay us what you owe us”

October 29, 2026 / 12:24 PM EDT / CBS News

Britain's King Charles III continued his nine-day tour of the Caribbean Thursday under mounting pressure to issue a formal apology for the U.K. royal family's historic role in the transatlantic slave trade and to support calls for reparations.

Charles was to visit Guyana on Thursday before traveling to Antigua and Barbuda for a meeting of heads of state of British Commonwealth nations, where leaders are expected to discuss the legacy of slavery.

His tour began Tuesday in the Bahamas, where the king addressed hundreds of young Bahamians and acknowledged Britain's colonial past.

"Some of what is best in Bahamian culture today, the most joyful, the most hopeful, the most bright, was born out of darkness," he said. "It is only right that we should acknowledge the great suffering and injustices 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."

On Wednesday, the king embraced the country's vibrant culture, joining a colorful Junkanoo street parade in Nassau surrounded by performers in elaborate costumes and feathered headdresses.

But around the celebrations, protesters held placards declaring: "Pay…

Original source: https://www.cbsnews.com/entertainment/