Prince Harry should apologise for the royal family’s historic role in the slave trade, locals said during he and wife Meghan’s tour of Colombia.
The couple were invited there to combat the negative global perception of the country, vice president Francia Marquez said.
Their visit is very similar to the tours undertaken by working royals, but has been organised independently, and sees them visiting different cities and experiencing local traditions.
The third day of their tour saw them visit San Basilio de Palenque, established as the first ‘free town’ in South America, founded by escaped slaves in the 17th century.
There were big smiles on the faces of those they met and shook hands with, but some were hoping it could be the opportunity for a symbolic statement.
Segundo Caceres Reyes, 49, president of the town’s local police, told the Telegraph: ‘I think he does have to [apologise], to free our hearts and our minds and ask for a pardon. We are in the process of forgiving and forgetting because we know how hard the facts are.’
Hairdresser Elida Canarte Diaz, 33, also told the paper that she wants Harry to say sorry: ‘His ancestors made our ancestors go through terrible times and he can make good faith and repent to show that they don’t agree with what happened before.’
A research project is currently underway into the royal family’s links with slavery, which Buckingham Palace is involved with by offering access to the Royal Collection and the Royal Archives.
Senior royals including King Charles and Prince William have decried the slave trade but stopped short of offering a formal apology.
Last year the spotlight was again on royal links after a previously unseen document was published by the Guardian showing the 1689 transfer of £1,000 of shares in the slave-trading Royal African Company to King William III.
It came from slave trader Edward Colston, the company’s deputy governor, whose statue was toppled during a Black Lives Matter demonstration in Bristol in 2020.
Prince Harry touched on the issue of slavery in his memoir Spare, writing that although the Crown ‘benefits all’ by generating tourist income, ‘can anyone deny’ that it also rests upon ‘lands obtained and secured when the system was unjust and wealth was generated by exploited workers and thuggery, annexation and enslaved people?’
Any intervention from the couple in Colombia would give a headache to the rest of the royal family who are also grappling with how to deal with the issue, and there has been no public statement as yet.
Meghan said she was ‘so honoured’ to visit the town of San Basilio, while Harry described the visit as an ‘incredibly moving experience’ before they explored the street market and watched a concert featuring local musicians.
Ms Marquez said the visit was crucial in combatting the negative global perception of the country.
‘I wanted them to come here and discover the essence of who we are — our spirituality, our music, our culture and our ancestral heritage – that is still very much alive today,’ she said.
‘In the midst of adversity, this is what has helped us continue to be resilient.’
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