King Charles is prepared to be replaced as head of state in Caribbean nations if their citizens ultimately decide they want a different constitutional arrangement.
Although the monarch remains committed to serving the region, senior aides have made clear that he would not oppose any country choosing to remove him from the role.
The comments come as tensions grow over Britain’s imperial past and calls for reparations, following Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s controversial intervention ahead of last week’s Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Antigua.
Mr Burnham’s offer to discuss a formal apology for the transatlantic slave trade has triggered renewed demands across the Caribbean for Britain to pay billions in compensation, placing Charles in a delicate diplomatic position.
The debate has also revived questions about the future of the monarchy. Antigua and Barbuda’s prime minister, Gaston Browne, said he wanted his country to become a republic—even as he hosted the King during the royal visit.
Sources close to Charles say that, while he remains enthusiastic about his responsibilities, he is also realistic about how the monarchy’s role could evolve.
At the conclusion of the high-profile tour, a senior royal aide said: “The King and the Royal Family are there to serve the people of these regions for as long as they wish.
“But if they no longer want that, then we are completely open to it.
“The family serves when it is wanted. If it is not, another arrangement can be reached.”
King Charles and Queen Camilla pose for an official tour photograph marking the end of their visit
Charles meets Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne on November 1
Charles speaks with Antigua and Barbuda Governor-General Rodney Williams after arriving at VC Bird International Airport on November 4
Charles is head of state in 14 countries outside the United Kingdom, including seven Caribbean realms: Antigua and Barbuda, the Bahamas, Jamaica, Grenada, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.
During Queen Elizabeth II’s reign, 17 of those realms became republics, while continuing to belong to the Commonwealth.
The King made dozens of visits to the Caribbean as heir to the throne. His latest eight-day tour of the Bahamas, Guyana, and Antigua and Barbuda was his first visit to the region as monarch.
Royal aides pointed to Barbados as evidence that a country can move from being a realm to a republic in an orderly and constructive way. Barbados made the change in 2021.
“We agreed on how it would happen. It was done without rancour,” one source said.
“We have absolutely no problem with that. Ultimately, it is a matter for each country to decide.
“The King was delighted to attend the events marking Barbados’s transition to a republic.”
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Diplomats described the tour as highly successful in advancing its central aims: strengthening trade ties and expanding co-operation in areas including the environment.
However, the visit was overshadowed by the intensifying dispute over slavery and reparations. Mr Burnham reignited the issue by reversing the position taken by successive British governments, which had refused even to consider a formal public apology for the transatlantic slave trade.
The move has led to a sharp increase in calls for “reparatory justice” across the region, placing Charles—who is also head of the Commonwealth—in an especially difficult position.
Charles and Prime Minister Andy Burnham speak during an official dinner at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting on November 3
Charles and Camilla wave as they leave Antigua and Barbuda on November 4
King Charles, Queen Camilla, and Commonwealth Secretary-General Shirley Botchwey attend a Commonwealth Heads of Government dinner on Tuesday
Speaking to ITV News after attending church with the King and Queen on Sunday, Mr Browne said he had considerable personal respect for Charles but repeated his support for Antigua and Barbuda becoming a republic.
“I am a republican. If you asked for my personal view, I would like to see Antigua and Barbuda become a republic. But I have to acknowledge that there are constitutional requirements, and ultimately the decision belongs to the people,” he said.
Under Antigua and Barbuda’s constitution, more than two-thirds of voters must support the change for the country to replace the monarch and amend its constitution.
He added: “Until that question is put to the people, I have to accept that King Charles remains.”
Mr Browne also renewed his call for Britain to pay reparations.
“I understand the political difficulties in the UK, and that it may be hard for him to support any form of reparations. But that does not remove the need for reparations,” he said of Mr Burnham.
People close to the King have stressed that he maintains a “good relationship” with Mr Burnham despite the controversy.
Charles is said to make an effort to build a personal connection with each prime minister, a useful approach given that he has had four in five years.
The aide said: “The King quickly finds a way to establish a strong working relationship with the sitting prime minister. I see them together every week, and it is genuinely a good relationship.”
Regarding Mr Burnham’s announcement, the aide said: “He is entirely entitled to do that. He leads the elected government.
“If elected politicians decide that is what they want to pursue, it is not for us to stand in their way.”
Asked whether Charles might personally apologise for his family’s links to slavery, the aide gave a cautious response: “The King is the Crown, the Crown is the state, and the state is governed by an elected government. We must see how this situation develops.”
The aide did confirm that the Royal Collection Trust, which manages the monarch’s nationally held collection of art, jewels, and antiques, has a “clear restitution policy”. Under that policy, countries can apply to have objects returned if concerns arise about how they were obtained.
