King Charles will join a junkanoo carnival in the Bahamas, a day after stopping short of a slavery apology
King Charles, who acknowledged "the great suffering and injustices of the past" during his Bahamas visit but stopped short of an apology, is on his first Caribbean tour as monarch.King Charles is on a nine-day Caribbean tour culminating in the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Antigua, where slavery's legacy will be formally discussed by Commonwealth leaders.King Charles (left) with Philip Davis, Prime Minister of the Bahamas, as the Bahamas National Reparations Committee said the King's remarks "fall short of what justice requires.King Charles arrives in Nassau to begin a Caribbean tour that will also be attended by Prime Minister Andy Burnham and Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting.
King Charles, 77, threw himself into the Bahamian carnival spirit on his first full day of engagements, visiting the Royal Bahamas Defence Force at Coral Harbour before the highlight of a traditional 'junkanoo' parade through the streets of Nassau. He also held talks with Prime Minister Philip Davis and Governor General Dame Cynthia Pratt, and laid a wreath at a monument to four RBDF Marines killed when Cuba sank HMBS Flamingo in 1980.
Charles acknowledged the 'great suffering and injustices of the past' at a Nassau youth rally but refused to apologise for slavery, in line with UK government policy.
He confirmed that Commonwealth leaders will discuss the legacy of slavery at next week's CHOGM summit in Antigua and Barbuda, which he will open.
A small group of protesters gathered outside the youth rally chanting 'pay us what you owe us' as a new poll found 60% of Britons aged 18-24 back a formal reparations dialogue.
