King acknowledges 'suffering of the past' as Caribbean tour begins

Speaking an event in the Bahamas celebrating local youth, the King said the country's culture was "born out of darkness", and it was "only right" to acknowledge historic injustices.

His nine-day tour will culminate in the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), where the King has confirmed leaders will discuss the region's legacy of slavery.

The visit, his first as monarch, comes in the wake of renewed calls from Caribbean nations for Britain to apologise for its role in selling enslaved people for profit.

Upon his arrival on Tuesday, the King met Governor General Dame Cynthia A. Pratt and its Prime Minister Philip Edward Davis, before speaking with members of the Royal Bahamas Defence Force as he inspected a guard of honour.

King Charles, wearing sunglasses and a grey suit, was then met with cheers as he arrived for his first engagement at a youth rally at Clifford Park - where he attended independence celebrations for the Bahamas as Prince of Wales in 1973.

The young people in the crowd had been given time off school for the event. "It's my first time seeing him in person out of TikTok so he's out there, it's cool," one student told the BBC.

A small group of protestors gathered close to the rally shouting "pay us what you owe us" and "return artefacts you've stolen."

"He's a man of influence. The Crown still has influence. And if they do not do it then we will become a republic and we will turn our backs on England if you do not show respect to the former colonies," said one protestor, Sharon Purcer-Cooper.

Kaynak: BBC News World RSS (Açık Basın / Haber Servisi)