Antigua and Barbuda’s prime minister has said he wants the country to become a republic and called for reparations from the UK for its role in the transatlantic slave trade.
Gaston Browne made the comments after attending a church service with King Charles and Queen Camilla during the royal couple’s visit to the Caribbean nation.
Mr Browne said he had “great respect” for the King but confirmed that he was personally in favour of replacing him as Antigua and Barbuda’s head of state.
“I can say to you, I am a Republican,” he told ITV News. “So if you asked me about my personal view, I would like to see Antigua and Barbuda become a republic.”
He acknowledged that the decision ultimately rested with the people, saying the country’s constitution required more than two-thirds of voters to support constitutional change.
“Until such time as the question is put to them, I have to accept that King Charles remains,” Mr Browne said. “I serve the King, and he will continue to benefit from all of the courtesies and respect as our King.”
The prime minister also criticised Kemi Badenoch after the Conservative leader said the time had come to stop apologising for the slave trade and accused Caribbean countries of using the Commonwealth summit to seek “global welfare” from Britain.
“I think she’s misguided,” Mr Browne said. “And no wonder she is the leader of the opposition and not the Prime Minister.”
He said Caribbean nations did not share her view and maintained that reparations were necessary, despite the political difficulties involved in Britain agreeing to them.
“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 does not negate the need for reparations,” he said.
Mr Browne argued that funding could be found through Britain’s overseas development budget, saying Caribbean nations were not demanding money that the UK could not afford.
He also warned that failing to provide compensation could encourage future atrocities. “If there is no compensation, there’s likely to be a repeat of those atrocities sometime in the future,” he said, adding that countries were becoming “far more brutal”.
King and Queen attend Antigua service
The comments came as Charles and Camilla attended an Anglican service at St John’s Pentecostal House of Restoration in the capital, St John’s, as part of the 2026 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting programme.
The service focused on unity and partnership, with the Bishop of the North Eastern Caribbean and Aruba telling the congregation that a prosperous Commonwealth must involve shared prosperity and meaningful participation by smaller states.
The King and Queen were welcomed by Antigua and Barbuda’s Governor-General, Sir Rodney Williams, and his wife, Lady Sandra Williams. The congregation included Mr Browne and former West Indies cricket captain Sir Viv Richards.
Caribbean nations have welcomed the offer from Prime Minister Andy Burnham to discuss an apology for slavery. Mr Burnham has expressed sorrow and regret for the suffering caused but ruled out financial compensation for events in the past.
The royal visit is also marking Antigua and Barbuda’s 45th anniversary of independence. Charles attended the country’s annual Independence Ceremonial Parade, where he inspected troops before taking part in the event.
The King and Queen are in Antigua and Barbuda as part of a Caribbean tour and for the biennial Commonwealth gathering, whose theme is accelerating partnerships and investment for a prosperous Commonwealth.
