King Charles and PM Andy Burnham face reparations protests at Antigua Commonwealth summit

King Charles and UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham will be met with protests demanding slavery reparations when they attend the Commonwealth leaders' summit in Antigua and Barbuda next week. Activists plan billboards, placards, T-shirts, letters, and a candlelight vigil in St John's to press the UK to confront its role in transatlantic enslavement. The protests underscore that reparatory justice is a central issue for Caribbean nations, with messages like “The royal family enslaved us! Apologise now!” The summit is seen as a key opportunity to force the issue onto the agenda of the 56-nation Commonwealth, many of whose members were affected by British colonial slavery. The demonstrations highlight growing pressure on the UK government and monarchy to acknowledge historical wrongs and engage in reparations discussions. As the Commonwealth meets, the calls for reparations signal that the legacy of slavery remains a live and unavoidable topic in UK-Caribbean relations.