Bahamas PM says he is open to the country becoming a republic
The Bahamas prime minister told Sky News he would be open to the country becoming a republic if islanders want it, and said reparations for slavery are not simply about money.
How it was covered
- Sky News was the only channel found covering it, concentrating on exclusive interview with the Bahamian PM on republic and slavery reparations.
- Channel 5, BBC News, BBC One, Channel 4 and ITV: not found in tracked broadcasts.
- GB News: covered online, not found on air.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story. Facts only one channel reported are attributed to it.
The Prime Minister of the Bahamas has said he would be open to the country becoming a republic if its people want it. In an exclusive interview with Sky News, conducted by the channel's royal correspondent Laura Bundock, he said he would be guided by the will of islanders.
The Bahamas is one of seven Caribbean nations that still count King Charles as head of state, Sky News reported. Asked whether he would be open to losing the King as head of state, the prime minister replied: "I'm open to it yes."
On slavery, he said the King had acknowledged the great suffering caused but had not apologised. He said the monarch acts on the advice of his government and was awaiting that advice once a "respectful dialogue" on reparations was complete.
He said repair and reparation were not simply about money. Acknowledgement, education and training formed part of the process, he said, describing the King's acknowledgement as the first step. Asked whether the King's own ancestors having benefited from the slave trade could be a line of redress, he said: "It could be one line of redress." He also pointed to scholarships the King's Trust provides to Commonwealth citizens as a possible form of repair.
The prime minister described himself as "quite agnostic" on the question personally. He said the country had thrived and developed greatly since 1973, when the King visited, and repeated that he would be guided by the will of the Bahamian people.
Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, grouped by how many channels reported each one. Select a dot to see the source excerpt.
| Claim |  |
|---|---|
| Only on one channel | |
| The Bahamas is one of seven Caribbean nations that retain King Charles as head of state. | |
| The Bahamian prime minister said reparations involve acknowledgement, education and training as well as money. | |
| The Bahamian prime minister said the country could become a republic if its people wanted. | |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
Sky News built its coverage around an exclusive interview by its royal correspondent Laura Bundock, framing the story through the monarchy rather than domestic Bahamian politics. The questioning pressed the prime minister on whether the King should apologise for slavery, on what reparations should involve, and on the royal family's own links to the slave trade. The republic question was put to him directly as a follow-up, and his answer was kept brief.
- “I'm open to it yes.”
- “It could be one line of redress.”
- “I'm quite agnostic about it”
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.