King Charles III begins a nine-day tour of the Caribbean on Tuesday, visiting the Bahamas, Guyana, and Antigua and Barbuda for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), in a trip that puts him at the centre of debates over slavery reparations and apologies for Britain's historical role, according to Sunday reporting previewing the visit.

Source: Atom Radio / BBC preview, Oct 25

Buckingham Palace has said the tour, from 27 October to 4 November, will not shy away from "the darkest days of our past", but the King will not formally apologise for Britain's involvement in the transatlantic slave trade, Reuters reported when the itinerary was confirmed on 2 October. Apologies and reparations are a matter for government, a palace spokesperson said.

Charles and Queen Camilla will attend CHOGM in Antigua and Barbuda from 1 to 4 November. The British government has ruled out paying reparations, though Charles — who remains head of state of a number of Caribbean nations including the Bahamas and Antigua and Barbuda — has previously expressed sorrow about slavery, Reuters reported.

'Biggest risk of his reign', historian says

Author and historian Sir Anthony Seldon described the visit as the biggest risk of the King's reign so far, warning in Sunday reporting that discussions around reparations and apologies directly question the moral integrity of the monarchy. Caribbean nations have pressed for reparations through CARICOM, the regional community, and the issue is expected to be prominent at CHOGM.

From the 15th to the 19th century, at least 12.5 million Africans were abducted and sold into slavery by European merchants, with Britain responsible for transporting an estimated 3.2 million people, Reuters reported, citing the historical record.