King Charles inspects guard of honour before throwing himself into carnival spirit in the Bahamas

The King will throw himself into the Bahamian carnival spirit today on his first full day of engagements in the Caribbean after tackling the issue of slavery head-on.The 77-year-old monarch has a packed programme of engagements from morning to evening, the highlight of which will be a traditional and highly colourful ‘junkanoo’ parade through the streets of Nassau.Hundreds of performers will entertain the monarch with traditional dancing, singing and costumes as part of his official welcome to the Caribbean nation, where he remains head of state.His day began in more sober fashion as he visited the Royal Bahamas Defence Force at Coral Harbour, one of six scheduled official engagements.He was there to recognise the service of the Royal Bahamas Defence Force (RBDF), with military personnel lining the route outside the main gate.The King will be received by Commander Defence Force, Commodore Floyd Moxey and other dignitaries.Taking his place in the beating sun on a dais, His Majesty will receive a Royal Salute from the Guard of Honour and Colour Party, formed by 106 Officers and Marines, after which the Band will play a Royal Fanfare and the National Anthem of The Bahamas. He will then inspect the Royal Guard.The King will also view a plaque, commemorating his visit, alongside Coronation Medals, which will be presented to Royal Bahamas Defence Force personnel at a future date. King Charles smiles at the Royal Bahamas Defence Force Coral Harbour Base during his visit to the Bahamas Charles shakes hands with dignitaries at the Royal Bahamas Defence Force Coral Harbour Base during his visit to the Bahamas King Charles inspects the Guard of Honour at the Royal Bahamas Defence Force Coral Harbour Base The King received a Royal Salute from the Guard of Honour and Colour Party, formed by 106 Officers and Marines King Charles with Commander of the Royal Bahamas Defence Force, Commodore Floyd Moxey Commodore Floyd Moxey and King Charles view Coronation Medals at Coral Harbour Base during his visit to the BahamasProceeding to the ‘Flamingo Monument’, His Majesty will lay a wreath in tribute to the four Bahamian Marines who lost their lives in the sinking of HMBS Flamingo on 10th May 1980.The vessel sunk when it was attacked by Cuban MiG fighter aircraft, killing MarinesFenrick Sturrup, Austin Smith, David Tucker and Edward Williams.The King will meet family members of each of the fallen Marines, and surviving crew member Force Chief Petty Officer Gregory Curry.Before he leaves the base King Charles will visit HMBS Lawrence Major, a 56 metre ‘roll on/roll off’ vessel whose primary duty is response to natural disasters.His Majesty will meet the Ship’s Commanding Officer, Commander Alexis Brown, before boarding the vessel to meet representatives of the Ship’s Company, Disaster Risk Management Unit, retired members of the Defence Force, RBDF Rangers Youth Programme, Bahamas National Youth Guards, RBDF veterans, Officers, Warrant Officers, Senior Rates and Marines.Later today the King will spend time viewing conservation projects at Bonefish Pond National Park, highlighting the urgent need for environmental restoration and climate-resilience projects in areas such as the Bahamas which are particularly vulnerable to climate change.He will undertake the first of two tree plantings of the day, before heading off to The Bahamas Boxing Academy which is helping offer opportunities for local youngsters through sport.This afternoon the King will also be greeted by the Prime Minister at the House of Assembly on Parliament Square - his second major meet and greet of the tour - and speak to Bahamian students involved with his King’s Foundation building programmes before the Junkanoo.Tonight he will attend a garden reception at Government House where he will meet Bahamians who have made significant contributions to the nation. Proceeding to the ‘Flamingo Monument’, His Majesty will lay a wreath in tribute to the four Bahamian Marines who lost their lives in the sinking of HMBS Flamingo on 10th May 1980. Pictured: The King with Commodore Floyd Moxey The vessel sunk when it was attacked by Cuban MiG fighter aircraft, killing MarinesFenrick Sturrup, Austin Smith, David Tucker and Edward Williams. Pictured: The King with Commodore Floyd Moxey The King will meet family members of each of the fallen Marines, and surviving crew member Force Chief Petty Officer Gregory Curry Members of the Royal Bahamas Defence Force line up ahead of the arrival of King Charles at Coral Harbour BaseKing Charles is currently on a nine-day visit to the Caribbean at the request of the British government taking in the Bahamas, Guyana and finally Antigua and Barbuda, where he will be joined by Prime Minister Andy Burnham for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM),The trip is, however, being dogged by calls from local campaigners for a formal apology from the British government over the country’s role in the historic transatlantic slave trade and reparations.The King, who acts on the advice of his ministers, addressed the thorny issue within hours of landing on Tuesday night saying: ‘It is only right that we should acknowledge the great suffering of the past, in these islands and beyond.’Although he stopped short of offering an apology or financial compensation in line with government policy, aides say His Majesty will ‘not shy away’ from addressing the growing clamour that threatens to overshadow his visit to the Bahamas, Guyana and Antigua and Barbuda this week.A spokesman for the King made clear he would face ‘the most shameful aspects of our past’.Whether it will be enough remains to be seen, with the Bahamas National Reparations Committee having already warned him: ‘Don’t come empty-handed.’Buckingham Palace insists that His Majesty is ‘alive’ to the local strength of feeling, particularly given his role both as Head of the Commonwealth and as monarch in two of the countries he is visiting, the Bahamas and Antigua and Barbuda, where calls for action by the UK have been growing. ‘His Majesty will as usual not seek to ignore the past,’ an aide said.As a result, he will tackle the ‘backdrop of wider discussions on colonial legacy’ head-on in a number of his speeches, as well as visiting sites with historic links to slavery.But he will continue to be mindful of the British government’s firm line on the matter which, while acknowledging the ‘abhorrence’ of the historic transatlantic slave trade and its legacy that endures today, firmly rejects demands for compensation as it was not illegal at the time.Any official apology from the King could be seen as opening the floodgates to billions in claims against the UK.