The Tribune

DR DORINDA DEAN, PRESIDENT, CENTRAL ANDROS CHRISTIAN COUNCIL

“Since we are still connected to the UK, it is fitting that King Charles makes a royal visit.

“However, his visit is owed to us. Therefore, The Bahamas should not be accountable for financing his visit. The UK is the Mother Country.

“Yes, I’m in agreement for The Bahamas to become a republic. Having England in control of the Privy Council causes the country to suffer by not being able to render the kind of punishment needed for capital punishment.

“Crime has escalated greatly due to the lack of capital punishment. Each day our males are being killed. There must be a solution to this tedious problem.”

SHANNALS JOHNSON

“I think that the royal visit of King Charles and Queen Camilla to The Bahamas will be a historic occasion in which many Bahamians will have the firsthand experience of seeing the British monarchy in real time.

“While The Bahamas has a great relationship with Britain, I would like to see a more balanced and open market for trade and business of goods and services, especially in the area of sustainable farming. Additionally, we know that King Charles is an environmentalist and I would like to see his foundations offer more scholarships and partnerships with environmental clubs within our schools.

“I think that the ‘baby boomer’ generation still has an affinity for the Royal family and most would consider themselves to be monarchists. The Royal family does not hold any great significance among many Bahamians. They are viewed as far removed from the realities of the way of life for the ordinary Bahamian.”

DAVE MACKEY

“For many younger Bahamians, it may come as a surprise to learn that the formal Oath of Allegiance taken by our elected representatives is to the King, his heirs and successors, rather than being expressed directly as allegiance to the Constitution or to the Bahamian people who elect them.

“That is simply the constitutional system we inherited and continue to operate under.”

SARAH KIRKBY

“I was absolutely thrilled to hear that the King and Queen are coming to The Bahamas.

“I was also incredibly lucky to meet his son and daughter-in-law when they visited Freeport, so I can only hope that one day I get the chance to meet King Charles himself.

“I would hope his visit might also encourage our government to be more strategic and vigilant about how we expand our footprint throughout the Out Islands. We have such extraordinary natural assets, and I believe development can and should happen in a way that protects what makes The Bahamas so special.

“We have seen British assistance and support during emergencies, particularly after hurricanes and other difficult times. I would like to see that relationship continue and remain strong.

“For me, it isn’t simply about the Monarchy as an institution — it is about our history, our culture, our relationships and the support we can continue to give each other as Commonwealth nations.”

JERRY DAVIS

“Far as I see it, we are supposed to be an independent nation. And I think the majority of the Caribbean countries as well, they had filed for reparations from the British monarchy for the enslavement of African ancestors.”

DOUGLAS GOODMAN, 30

“I think that we should’ve stopped treating visits from the Royal Family as a grand affair since we became an independent country. Why do we insist on celebrating the arrival of the same people that we painstakingly sought liberty from?

“If my taxes are being wasted, I’d rather know now.

“We’ve been independent for 53 years. He has no real authority over us. I don’t see why we have to recognise a king with no real authority over his ‘subjects’.

“I don’t see what would necessarily change by The Bahamas becoming a republic unless we also change our electoral system. Are we going to go from The Commonwealth of The Bahamas to The Republic of The Bahamas? Will becoming a republic suddenly mean our politicians will focus on the ‘states’ within the republic?

“If it’s going to be business as usual but a fancy name change, then I say save the paper that’d be wasted on the endeavour.”

DYAH, 30

“I don’t see a problem with creating stronger diplomatic ties and relationships between countries. They have given us aid in the past for hurricanes.

“As long as Bahamians aren’t footing the bill, I don’t really care. If we are, why should our taxes go towards his travel when we have to pay for our own people to travel?

“I don’t think anyone thinks of him as their king. As long as they are not reinforcing this or forcing us to pay taxes, then I don’t know how this really affects us much.

“We don’t have a lot going on for us in terms of manufacturing, industry, etc. It’s good to have ties to people with power.

“I think The Bahamas needs to worry about all the issues we are currently facing instead of worrying about what we are called. That can come after.”

ALICIA WILCHCOMBE, 18

“My reaction is just questioning, like, why? Why is he visiting? What’s the purpose? Didn’t we recently have one from, I think it’s his son, William, and his wife?

“I think it is significant, him coming back as the King in 2026 after facing so much. I don’t know why this year, why October. I don’t know.

“Why can’t London taxpayers foot the bill? Why do we have to foot the bill for him to visit us? I don’t think it should cost us anything for the monarch of our country to essentially visit us.

“Considering the financial situation in The Bahamas, there’s no way we should be dealing with that bill, a very large bill, because when we don’t have a stable power situation in The Bahamas, we shouldn’t be worried about the King visiting.

“I don’t think we yet have the political standing in the world to be a full republic just as yet, which is why having that geopolitical bond with England and its allies makes sense to maintain. But I don’t think within that bond we should be the ones footing the bill of him visiting the country. If anything, you’re visiting. How could you give us some money to make this life easier? That’s how I feel about it. That’s just my two cents.”

MORELL, 30

“I mean, for real, what’s the significance of it? After 53 years of independence, you don’t really think we should be a republic?

“My question really would be, are we really free? I really don’t see the significance of him coming, so to speak, because it still shows that the monarchy still has ties, or their prongs, so to speak, inside the Bahamian government. But from then to now, we really should be a republic.

“Don’t you think those funds could go into the economy itself? All this stuff is going on with the power outages and all these other things. Why would we be paying all this money for him to come? Basically, everything they really do is just for photo ops, like props. The King has been back to The Bahamas, but really for what? What could we have done with that kind of money?

“Are they going to pave these roads again from where the King would be coming, or where he would actually be visiting?

“For all the time that our country has been oppressed by the monarchy, I hope he’s saying that he’s coming back to bring some money to the Bahamian government to say, ‘Do what needs to be done.’ That’s what I hope he’s coming to do.”