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King Charles to Address Slavery Legacy During Caribbean Tour

King Charles to Address Slavery Legacy During Caribbean Tour
King Charles will not shy away from slavery issue during Caribbean tour, Buckingham Palace says · theprint.in

King Charles is going on a trip to several Caribbean countries.

Some of these countries are discussing whether Britain should pay money because of its role in slavery.

Britain’s government says it will not pay reparations.

The king’s palace says he will not avoid talking about slavery and its lasting effects.

He will visit the Bahamas, Guyana, and Antigua and Barbuda.

He will also attend a meeting of Commonwealth countries.

The palace says the trip will also celebrate the countries’ current achievements and future plans.

Charles has supported research into the monarchy’s historical connections to slavery.

Caribbean leaders and Commonwealth officials want more progress on discussions about reparations.

Key facts

Countries on the tour
The Bahamas, Guyana, and Antigua and Barbuda
Commonwealth meeting
The Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting will be held in Antigua and Barbuda from November 1 to 4.
British government position
The British government has ruled out paying reparations.
Charles’s position
Charles has expressed sorrow about slavery and backed research into the monarchy’s historical links to the trade.
Historical estimate
European merchants abducted and sold at least 12.5 million Africans into slavery from the 15th to the 19th century.
Britain’s estimated role
Britain transported an estimated 3.2 million enslaved people, according to the report.
Commonwealth membership
Charles is head of the Commonwealth, a group of 56 nations representing about 2.7 billion people.

Quotes

Buckingham Palace spokesperson

A spokesperson for Buckingham Palace discussing the tour’s significance.

“The visit programme will therefore not shy away from ‘the darkest days of our past’, as his majesty has described them, but – in keeping with the wishes of our host nations – it will principally be oriented to the vibrant present and promising future of each country.”
theprint.in
“It is important to note here the work his majesty himself has done over many years both to acknowledge the wrongs of the past and to find creative ways to right inequalities that endure”
theprint.in

Sources

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