King Charles Confronts Slavery's Legacy in Guyana Visit
Monarch's Caribbean tour begins amid calls for reparations and historical reckoning in former British colony.
Carla Rooney
King Charles arrived in Guyana for a two-day state visit, the first stop on his nine-day Caribbean tour.
Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband joined King Charles III for the state visit. The King attended a cultural evening hosted by President Mohamed Irfaan Ali, where he sampled a limited edition rum, 'Royal Welcome,' made by Banks DIH.
Gregory Garraway described the rum as "extremely smooth, rich and flavourful." King Charles asked, "Do you drink this? Endless rum punches at the end of the day?" Guyana's president replied, "you’ve just got to drink it down."
Somebody else will have to finish it!
The King remarked, "That’s very kind. Somebody else will have to finish it!" Garraway stated, "We wanted the King’s visit to be something he could actually taste."
The King acknowledged the 'shameful' aspects of British history related to the slave trade. He visited Independence Park in Georgetown, a site where enslaved people were executed after the 1823 Demerara Rebellion.
The rebellion began on the plantation of Sir John Gladstone. A sign at the site stated its use as a public execution site for condemned enslaved persons; hundreds of enslaved people died, and survivors were executed during the uprising. Quamina is now considered a national hero in Guyana.
Buckingham Palace stated the King will not apologize or discuss reparations. However, renewed calls from Caribbean nations for slavery reparations persist. A Commonwealth leaders' summit King Charles will open in Antigua is expected to discuss the legacy of slavery.
Guyana’s president said in a recent interview that Charles has recognised slavery as the darkest days in human history. Moving to the apology is “the next step.” An unnamed source close to President Ali claims the president is keen to ensure the visit focuses on the future, not the past.
The King met with veterans of the pre-independence British Guiana defence forces. Scottish bagpipe graduates performed alongside Guyanese drummers.
He will attend events in Georgetown, including laying a wreath at a Commonwealth War Graves ceremony and visiting Kingston Seawall. The King learned about conservation projects, including a children's book and the Victoria amazonica water lily.
King Charles III indicated that Endless deforestation was totally prejudicing our future and other people’s futures, and our health.
He claimed that finding ways to value nature remained a challenge. Endless deforestation was “totally prejudicing our future and other people’s futures, and our health.” Guyana agreed to a deal with Norway in 2009 for $250 million to protect its forests.
Hess Corporation agreed to buy $750 million worth of carbon credits from Guyana over the next decade. The King also claimed, "Nature has the best solutions to everything, really."