Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne stated that his country should sever ties with the monarchy and establish a republic, following a royal visit dominated by demands for reparations for the transatlantic slave trade. The remarks came as King Charles and Queen Camilla concluded the final leg of their Caribbean tour.
Republic Ambitions and Royal Visit Tensions
King Charles arrived in Antigua on Friday ahead of opening a Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (Chogm) slated to address the legacy of slavery. Within an hour of attending a Sunday church service celebrating the Commonwealth alongside the monarch, Mr Browne told ITV News that he supports transitioning his nation to a republic.
So if you asked me about my personal view, I would like to see Antigua and Barbuda become a republic… but I have to recognise and accept the fact that there are certain constitutional provisions to become a republic, and that, ultimately, it is the decision of the people to determine whether or not we become a republic,
Mr Browne said.
While the King has previously expressed sorrow and regret for “the darkest days of our past”, he has consistently stopped short of issuing an apology, with royal aides citing constitutional limitations.
Reparations and the Threat of Repeated Atrocities
Mr Browne argued that apologies alone are insufficient without financial redress. He warned that omitting compensation could lead to future human rights violations globally.
I understand the politics in the UK, in which it may be a difficult proposition for him to agree to any form of reparations, but that just does not negate the need for reparations,
Mr Browne stated. If there’s no compensation, there’s likely to be a repeat of those atrocities sometime in the future, and you can see what is happening globally already.
The Antiguan leader suggested that funds for reparations could be drawn from Britain’s overseas development budget, emphasizing that Caribbean nations are not seeking to penalize the UK.
Wider Caribbean Stance on Structured Dialogue
Mr Browne’s position aligns with broader regional sentiments across the Caribbean Community (Caricom). St Lucia Prime Minister and Caricom chairman Philip J Pierre noted that the 15-member political and economic bloc is prepared to engage with the British prime minister.
No British prime minister has gone this far before… we are ready to engage,
Mr Pierre wrote, adding that any dialogue must include the topic of reparations rather than excluding it from the outset.
The diplomatic discussions coincide with the nine-day royal tour, which previously included a two-day stop in The Bahamas. During that leg, Bahamian Prime Minister Philip Davis addressed the issue of royal apologies in an interview with Sky News, noting that acknowledgement and training are also vital components of repair alongside financial considerations.
