King Charles III will acknowledge Britain's colonial rule and slavery during a Caribbean tour beginning later this month, Buckingham Palace confirmed on Friday.
The palace said the king will not "shy away" from Britain's role in slavery when visiting Commonwealth nations in the region. The tour includes solo visits to the Bahamas and Guyana, followed by stops in Antigua and Barbuda with Queen Camilla. Charles will address a meeting of Commonwealth heads of government during the Antigua and Barbuda leg of the trip.
The palace characterised the acknowledgement as addressing the "darkest days" of colonial rule. The specifics of what Charles will say, and whether any formal apology or reparations discussion will occur, remain unclear from the palace statement.