King Charles arrives in Bahamas and will acknowlege 'great suffering' amid calls for slavery apology

King Charles arrives in Bahamas and will acknowledge 'great suffering' amid calls for slavery apology King Charles has tonight landed in The Bahamas to kick off the start of his tour of the Caribbean and has chosen to face the issue of slavery on arrival in the country The King will tonight acknowledge "the great suffering of the past" following his arrival in The Bahamas for the start of his Caribbean tour. Amid growing calls for the monarch to issue a formal apology for Britain and the royal family's historic role in the slave trade, Charles has chosen to face the issue at his first public engagement upon touching down in the country. But in a blow to campaigners, the King will not say sorry, but is set to assure his hosts across The Bahamas, Guyana and Antigua and Barbuda, that world leaders at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (Chogm) next week, will discuss the matter of slavery reparations. Royal aides said the King, 77, was incredibly aware of the feelings and sentiments across the region and hoped his speech a youth rally in the capital Nassau would be welcomed against a backdrop of wider discussions on colonial legacy. Charles will firstly visit The Bahamas from October 27-29, followed by the state visit to Guyana, October 29-30 and will attend CHOGM during his trip to Antigua and Barbuda with the Queen from Nov 1-4. As part of his nine day tour, the King will preside over the biennial CHOGM gathering in Antigua and Barbuda, where he will be joined by the Queen and the Prime Minister. The issue of reparations - financial compensation or other forms of redress from slave trading nations - is likely to be a big topic across the tour. Tonight, the King is expected to begin his first address of the tour by making a quip about the warm-hearted rivalry that exists between different local allegiances and groups participating in the traditional Junkanoo - which has historical roots among what were enslaved people and is in fact now a source of great cultural pride and competition. The King will then say that "each of these groups is a living witness to the way Bahamian culture has been passed down from one generation to the next, each generation not only incorporating but magnifying - and sometimes transforming - that which has come before". The King will add his admiration for how locals through the generations have found success and happiness after emerging from the shadows of the appalling legacy of slavery, adding "some of what is best in Bahamian culture today - the most joyful, the most hopeful, the most bright - was born out of darkness. "It is only right that we should acknowledge the great suffering 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." The King is also keen to outline and achieve recognition for the younger generation across his major tour, as well as highlighting the urgent issue of climate change that stands to devastate the Caribbean island if urgent action is not taken. He will reference his own work fighting to make people around the world wake up to the climate emergency, as well as to help young people thrive, adding "for my own part, for more than 50 years, I have tried through various initiatives and organisations, to assist young people across the Commonwealth…to innovate, to prosper and to thrive, and to do so in harmony with Nature." In a nod to the late Bahamian-born actor and local-hero Sidney Poitier, and his autobiography titled 'The Measure of a Man, the King will also call on the young attendees to "take up the sacred task to play your part" in this undertaking as "in 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". Whether the King's words are enough remains to be seen this week on a tour that could be dominated by conversations over the legacy of slavery and Britain's role in it. The King follows the guidance of his ministers and it is understood the Government has not advised him to offer an apology or reparations, in keeping with established policy. In March, the United Nations General Assembly overwhelmingly backed a resolution declaring the transatlantic slave trade "the gravest crime against humanity", and the UK and EU member states were among 52 countries who abstained during the vote. Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband, expected to attend CHOGM with Prime Minister Andy Burnham, recently reiterated the Government's position during an interview with Politico, a digital newspaper, saying "I don't think reparations are the answer, and I've had those discussions already with some of our Commonwealth colleagues." However, the issue was put back into focus this week following Commonwealth's secretary general Shirley Botchwey sayin it "wouldn't hurt" when asked during an interview if the King should apologise. Activists and campaign groups have added to the chorus of pleas for Charles, 77, to go further than acknowledging Britain’s shameful past. The Bahamas National Reparations Committee has warned the King not to arrive “empty-handed” and wants a formal apology for the Crown’s links to slavery and colonialism. Its chair, Dr Niambi Hall Campbell-Dean, told the Mirror: “For [King Charles] to come to our island and not be prepared to apologise for the wrongs of the past is unacceptable.” Guyana President Mohamed Irfaan Ali said recently Charles had recognised slavery as the darkest days in human history - but moving to the apology was "the next step". Buckingham Palace has said the King will not issue a formal apology, but will take part in reflections of the region’s past and links to the slave trade. A Buckingham Palace spokesman said: "At the request of host Governments, The King’s programme will primarily focus on shining a light on the many modern partnerships and opportunities for the future that are having a transformative effect on the region, as it confronts the challenges of today. "For His Majesty, this tour is both a new journey but also the continuance of a lifelong one, in which he has sought to engage, understand and educate about the most shameful aspects of our past. This will therefore also be reflected in differing ways and words during the tour, as you would expect."