King Charles Faces Criticism After Posing Beneath Slavery Portrait with Caribbean DiplomatsBy Catarina DemonyControversy Surrounds Royal Reception and Historical Ties to SlaveryLONDON, March 20 (Reuters) - Campaigners for slavery reparations and scholars have criticised the British monarchy after King Charles posed with Caribbean officials at a London reception beneath a portrait of George IV, who profited from enslaved labour on plantations in Grenada. The Photograph and Its AftermathA group of 29 guests at the reception posed for a photograph with Charles and British foreign minister Yvette Cooper beneath a large portrait of George IV. The image was subsequently shared across several accounts of some Caribbean foreign ministries as well as by a high commissioner. "It is doubly offensive to have persons of African descent with the king below a photograph of him." Gill said the criticism of the photograph presented an opportunity for some Caribbean representatives to better educate themselves on the history of slavery.

Source: The Guardian March 20, 2026 17:04 UTC