Antigua Prime Minister Demands Slavery Reparations During King Charles Royal Visit

Prime Minister Gaston Browne of Antigua and Barbuda declared support for removing King Charles III as head of state and demanded the United Kingdom pay reparations for the transatlantic slave trade.

Speaking after attending a Sunday church service with the British monarch and Queen Camilla, Browne stated that while he serves the King, he remains a republican who wants Antigua and Barbuda to transition to a republic through a constitutional referendum, which requires a two-thirds majority vote. Browne also criticized UK Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch, who argued that discussions about apologies were a distraction and that Commonwealth nations should look forward rather than backward.

Later Sunday evening, King Charles and Queen Camilla attended the forty-fifth annual Antigua and Barbuda Independence Parade at Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, where the monarch inspected a guard of honour during a heavy downpour. The royal tour precedes Tuesday's Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Antigua, where the legacy of slavery is scheduled for discussion.

Buckingham Palace announced that King Charles will address the issue during the summit with sincere sorrow and unflinching honesty, while maintaining that royal addresses do not determine UK government policy. The tour follows statements by British Prime Minister Andy Burnham, who wrote that he is open to the UK government issuing a formal apology for its role in transatlantic slavery.

Burnham maintained existing policy by ruling out financial reparations. In response, the Caribbean Community welcomed Burnham's openness to a formal apology while insisting that reparatory justice and financial compensation must remain under negotiation. Ghana President John Dramani Mahama also welcomed the stance, while domestic UK critics, including Reform UK equalities spokeswoman Suella Braverman, warned that an apology could increase legal and political pressure for financial payouts.