King Charles Begins Caribbean Tour Ahead of Commonwealth Summit

King Charles III began a nine-day Caribbean tour on Tuesday with stops in The Bahamas, Guyana and Antigua and Barbuda.

The visit focuses on the region’s culture, environmental protection and youth, ahead of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting. Belize is not on the King’s itinerary.

In The Bahamas, Charles addressed young people, encouraging them to help build a sustainable future and show the world how it could be “better in The Bahamas”.

“In the years to come, this will surely be the measure of every person, how they answered the call to care for Planet Earth, the source of our life, our prosperity and our security,” he said.

The King is scheduled to visit Guyana, where engagements will mark 60 years of diplomatic relations between the country and the United Kingdom. His programme includes meetings with President Irfaan Ali and engagements with Indigenous communities, with a focus on environmental protection and sustainable development.

Charles will then travel to Antigua and Barbuda, where Queen Camilla will join him for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting from November 1 to 4. Leaders from across the 56-member Commonwealth, including Belize, are expected to discuss shared challenges and opportunities for cooperation.

The visit is also taking place amid renewed calls for Britain to address its role in slavery and the transatlantic slave trade.

In The Bahamas, Charles acknowledged the suffering and injustices of the past, saying, “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 and build new opportunities for the future.”