The Tribune

KING Charles III will make his first visit to The Bahamas as monarch in October as part of a week-long Caribbean tour that will also take him to Antigua and Barbuda and Guyana, Buckingham Palace announced today.

The King and Queen Camilla will visit The Bahamas ahead of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), which will be held in Antigua and Barbuda from November 1 to 4. The visit will mark King Charles' first official trip to The Bahamas since ascending the throne in 2022.

Buckingham Palace said the King will travel first to The Bahamas before attending the Commonwealth summit in Antigua and Barbuda. He will then make a state visit to Guyana.

"Their Majesties The King and Queen will undertake an Autumn Tour from Tuesday, 27th October to Wednesday, 4th November 2026. This will include a Royal Visit to Antigua and Barbuda to coincide with Their Majesties’ attendance at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) 2026," the statement read.

"Prior to CHOGM, The King will undertake a Royal Visit to The Bahamas, of which His Majesty is also Head of State. His Majesty will then undertake a State Visit to Guyana, at the invitation of the President of Guyana and at the request of the UK Government. The visit will mark 60 years of bilateral relations between the UK and Guyana."

It added: "Their Majesties’ Autumn Tour will celebrate communities, cultures and Nature within the Commonwealth family."

The visit fulfils an intention King Charles expressed in 2024 when he apologised for missing The Bahamas' 50th Independence celebrations because of cancer treatment and told Prime Minister Philip "Brave" Davis he hoped to visit the country.

King Charles last visited The Bahamas in 1973 as Prince of Wales, representing Queen Elizabeth II at the nation's Independence celebrations. Queen Elizabeth II made five official visits to The Bahamas during her reign, the last in 1994 for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting.