King Charles will embrace the vibrant spirit of Bahamian carnival today, beginning his first full day of Caribbean engagements after addressing the sensitive history of slavery.
The 77-year-old monarch faces a packed schedule running from morning until evening. Its centrepiece will be a traditional and colourful Junkanoo parade through the streets of Nassau.
Hundreds of performers are expected to welcome the King with traditional music, dancing and elaborate costumes as part of his official visit to The Bahamas, where he remains head of state.
His day began on a more solemn note with a visit to the Royal Bahamas Defence Force base at Coral Harbour, one of six official engagements planned for the day.
The visit recognised the work of the Royal Bahamas Defence Force (RBDF), with military personnel lining the route outside the main entrance.
King Charles was received by the Commander Defence Force, Commodore Floyd Moxey, along with other dignitaries.
Standing beneath the bright sun on a dais, His Majesty received a Royal Salute from the Guard of Honour and Colour Party, made up of 106 officers and Marines. The band then played a Royal Fanfare and The Bahamas’ national anthem before the King inspected the Royal Guard.
He also viewed a plaque marking his visit alongside Coronation Medals, which will be presented to Royal Bahamas Defence Force personnel at a later date.
King Charles smiles at the Royal Bahamas Defence Force Coral Harbour Base during his visit to The Bahamas
Charles shakes hands with dignitaries at the Royal Bahamas Defence Force Coral Harbour Base during his visit to The Bahamas
King Charles inspects the Guard of Honour at the Royal Bahamas Defence Force Coral Harbour Base
The King received a Royal Salute from the Guard of Honour and Colour Party, comprising 106 officers and Marines
King Charles with Commander of the Royal Bahamas Defence Force, Commodore Floyd Moxey
Commodore Floyd Moxey and King Charles view Coronation Medals at Coral Harbour Base during his visit to The Bahamas
Charles speaks with a member of the Royal Bahamas Defence Force
King Charles is on a nine-day Caribbean visit taking in The Bahamas, Guyana and Antigua and Barbuda
Charles shakes hands with a member of the Royal Bahamas Defence Force at Coral Harbour Base
At the Flamingo Monument, the King will lay a wreath in memory of the four Bahamian Marines who died when HMBS Flamingo sank on 10 May 1980.
The vessel sank after being attacked by Cuban MiG fighter aircraft. Marines Fenrick Sturrup, Austin Smith, David Tucker and Edward Williams were killed.
King Charles will meet relatives of the four Marines, as well as surviving crew member Force Chief Petty Officer Gregory Curry.
Before departing the base, His Majesty will visit HMBS Lawrence Major, a 56-metre roll-on/roll-off vessel primarily used to respond to natural disasters.
The King will meet the ship’s commanding officer, Commander Alexis Brown, before boarding to speak with representatives from the Ship’s Company, the Disaster Risk Management Unit, retired Defence Force personnel, the RBDF Rangers Youth Programme, the Bahamas National Youth Guards, RBDF veterans, officers, warrant officers, senior rates and Marines.
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Later, King Charles will tour conservation projects at Bonefish Pond National Park, drawing attention to the urgent need for environmental restoration and climate-resilience initiatives in The Bahamas, a country particularly exposed to the effects of climate change.
He will take part in the first of two tree-planting ceremonies planned for the day before visiting The Bahamas Boxing Academy, which creates opportunities for local young people through sport.
This afternoon, the King will be welcomed by the Prime Minister at the House of Assembly on Parliament Square. He will also meet Bahamian students taking part in building programmes run by The King’s Foundation before attending the Junkanoo parade.
Tonight, he will attend a garden reception at Government House, where he is due to meet Bahamians who have made notable contributions to the nation.
Charles views a plaque commemorating his visit with Commander of the Royal Bahamas Defence Force, Commodore Floyd Moxey
Charles lays a wreath at the Flamingo Monument in memory of the four Bahamian Marines killed when HMBS Flamingo sank on 10 May 1980 after an attack by a Cuban MiG fighter
King Charles meets members of the RBDF Rangers Youth Programme aboard HMBS Lawrence Major at Coral Harbour Base
King Charles walks towards the Flamingo Monument with Commodore Floyd Moxey
HMBS Flamingo sank after being attacked by Cuban MiG fighter aircraft, killing Marines Fenrick Sturrup, Austin Smith, David Tucker and Edward Williams. Pictured: The King with Commodore Floyd Moxey
The King will meet relatives of the fallen Marines and surviving crew member Force Chief Petty Officer Gregory Curry
Members of the Royal Bahamas Defence Force line up before King Charles arrives at Coral Harbour Base
King Charles is on a nine-day Caribbean tour requested by the British government, visiting The Bahamas, Guyana and Antigua and Barbuda. He will be joined by Prime Minister Andy Burnham for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM).
The visit has been accompanied by calls from local campaigners for a formal British government apology over the country’s historic role in the transatlantic slave trade, as well as demands for reparations.
The King, who acts on the advice of his ministers, addressed the issue within hours of arriving on Tuesday night, saying: “It is only right that we should acknowledge the great suffering of the past, in these islands and beyond.”
He did not offer an apology or financial compensation, in line with government policy. However, aides say His Majesty will not avoid the increasingly prominent debate, which risks overshadowing his visits to The Bahamas, Guyana and Antigua and Barbuda.
A spokesman for the King said he would confront “the most shameful aspects of our past”.
Whether that will satisfy campaigners remains uncertain. The Bahamas National Reparations Committee has already issued a direct warning: “Don’t come empty-handed.”
Buckingham Palace says the King is aware of the strength of feeling across the region, particularly because he is both Head of the Commonwealth and monarch of two countries on his itinerary: The Bahamas and Antigua and Barbuda. Calls for action from the UK have intensified in both nations. “His Majesty will as usual not seek to ignore the past,” one aide said.
Against that backdrop, the King is expected to address the wider debate over colonial legacies in several speeches and visit sites connected to the history of slavery.
He will nevertheless remain conscious of the British government’s firm position. While ministers acknowledge the “abhorrence” of the historic transatlantic slave trade and its continuing legacy, they reject compensation claims on the grounds that the trade was not illegal at the time.
An official apology from the King could be interpreted as opening the way to billions of pounds in claims against the UK.
