Photo: Tim Aylen / AP
Back after 53 years: King Charles receives a warm welcome in The Bahamas
King Charles has begun his Caribbean journey in The Bahamas, where he was last in 1973 when the country became independent. In a speech he acknowledged "the great suffering and injustices of the past".
King Charles landed on Tuesday in Nassau, the capital of The Bahamas. It is his first official visit to the country as King, and the first stop on a nine-day journey through the Caribbean. Governor-General Dame Cynthia Pratt, who represents the King in The Bahamas, and Prime Minister Philip Davis welcomed him at the airport. The government had closed all public schools on the island of New Providence to welcome him.
The King opened his visit with a few words in Bahamian dialect: "I've arrived, thank God!"
Back after 53 years
The first stop was a youth rally at Clifford Park, where young Bahamians showed off singing, music and other talents. It is the same place the King visited in 1973. As Prince of Wales, he represented his mother, Queen Elizabeth, when The Bahamas became independent after 300 years of British rule.
In his speech, the King spoke about the country's history. "We know that 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."
He also spoke about the climate. Around 90 per cent of the land in The Bahamas lies less than two metres above sea level. "There is perhaps nowhere better than the Bahamas to understand the reality of climate change," he said.
Calls for reparations
Along the road near the park, protesters demanded reparations for slavery. Several Caribbean countries have asked Britain for an apology and reparations. Buckingham Palace has said the King will not apologise during the tour, as such questions are matters for governments, but that he will "not shy away from the darkest days of our past". The King has confirmed that the legacy of slavery will be discussed at the Commonwealth summit next week, which he will open.
The Flamingo memorial and Junkanoo
On Wednesday the King was due to meet the Prime Minister and the Governor-General. At the Royal Bahamas Defence Force base, he was to lay a wreath at the memorial to the patrol vessel HMBS Flamingo and meet the families of the four marines killed when the vessel was sunk by Cuban fighter jets in 1980. The programme also included a visit to Bonefish Pond National Park, focusing on mangroves and coastal protection, and a Junkanoo celebration, The Bahamas' traditional carnival parade, in Rawson Square. The day was to end with a garden reception at Government House.
On Thursday the King travels on to Guyana. He then heads to Antigua and Barbuda, where Queen Camilla joins him for the Commonwealth summit.