The Tribune

By LEANDRA ROLLE

Tribune Chief Reporter

lrolle@tribunemedia.net

KING Charles III will make his first visit to The Bahamas as monarch in October, returning more than half a century after he represented his mother at the country’s Independence celebrations and reviving a debate that has followed recent royal visits over whether The Bahamas should remain a monarchy.

Buckingham Palace announced that the King and Queen Camilla will visit The Bahamas before travelling to Guyana, then Antigua and Barbuda, for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM). The wider royal tour runs from October 27 to November 4.

The visit will be constitutionally different from that of an ordinary foreign head of state. King Charles is King of The Bahamas and the country’s Head of State, one of 15 countries in which he serves in that role.

It will be his first trip here since succeeding Queen Elizabeth II in 2022 and only his second visit to The Bahamas. He last came in 1973 as Prince of Wales, representing the Queen at Independence.

Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis welcomed the announcement yesterday, saying he looked forward to receiving the King with warmth and hospitality.

Foreign Affairs Minister Fred Mitchell said the visit – believed to be for three days – is expected to involve heightened security and strict protocol.

He said Cabinet is ordinarily expected to be at the airport when a head of state arrives, with the Governor General greeting the King and introducing him to the Prime Minister and Cabinet before official engagements begin.

Mr Mitchell said the programme could reflect the King’s longstanding interests in the environment and young people.

“I would imagine that there will be, given his interest in the environment, given his interest in children and their development,” Mr Mitchell said, “that there will be exposure on those fronts while he's here during the visit.”

Asked about the cost of hosting the visit and who would pay, Mr Mitchell brushed aside the question.

“Well, he is your king,” he said. “You should be happy. He’s coming to see you.

“There’s no bill for our king,” he added. “Nothing too good for the king.”

Buckingham Palace said the autumn tour will celebrate “communities, cultures and nature within the Commonwealth family”.

A statement said: “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.

“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.”

The trip also fulfils a wish King Charles expressed two years ago after missing The Bahamas’ 50th Independence celebrations while undergoing cancer treatment.

In 2024, he apologised to Mr Davis for his absence and said he hoped to visit the country eventually.

His return will come 53 years after his first visit.

Queen Elizabeth II made five visits to The Bahamas during her reign, including Caribbean tours in 1966 and 1975 and her Silver Jubilee tour in 1977.

She returned for CHOGM in New Providence in 1985 and made her final visit in 1994 for another Commonwealth summit.

The most recent high-profile royal visit came in March 2022, when Prince William and Catherine, Princess of Wales, visited as part of celebrations for Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee.

That tour drew criticism from people who argued that the royal presence highlighted Britain’s historic oppression and injustices against Bahamians and their ancestors.

Mr Davis acknowledged those concerns at the time but said the visit also offered The Bahamas an opportunity for international exposure after Hurricane Dorian and the COVID-19 pandemic.

King Charles’ visit could again put the country’s constitutional relationship with the monarchy under scrutiny.

Mr Davis has previously said Bahamians would have to decide whether The Bahamas becomes a republic, as he favoured, because such a change cannot occur without their approval in a referendum.

“The only challenge with us moving to a republic is that I can’t – as much I would like to do it – I can’t do it without your consent,” Mr Davis said in October 2023.

Mr Mitchell has also said he believes The Bahamas will eventually become a republic, describing that objective as his life’s work.

During his 2022 visit, Prince William said the Royal Family would respect whatever decision Bahamians ultimately make about their constitutional future.

“Relationships evolve, friendship endures,” he said.

After leaving The Bahamas, the King is scheduled to make a state visit to Guyana before travelling to Antigua and Barbuda, where he and Queen Camilla will attend CHOGM. The summit will bring together leaders and representatives from 56 Commonwealth countries from November 1 to 4.