THE PRIME Minister of St Vincent and the Grenadines has said that he swears allegiance to the natives living on the Caribbean island just days after King Charles III Coronation.

Ralph Gonsalves, who attended the historic service on Saturday, joined other Caribbean leaders who are calling for reparations and an apology over the slave trade in the wake of another British Monarch becoming their head of state. 

Days before he was crowned, it was announced that people were invited to swear allegiance to the King. 

Speaking to Channel 4 News, Mr Gonsalves said he avoided parts of the ceremony that involved incantation. 

“The British Monarch is our Monarch, we do not swear anymore on oath to his majesty, we swear allegiance to the people of St Vincent and the Grenadines,” he said.

“I would like to see very much a severing of this link with the British monarch. I don’t accept, I cannot accept that someone who is born in the United Kingdom, grows up in the United Kingdom, lives in the United Kingdom can be the King of St Vincent and the Grenadines.”

Caribbean leaders have been unapologetic in their efforts to push forward reparatory justice over the slave trade from British institutions that amassed their wealth through colonialism and the trading of Black lives. 

Barbados became the latest country in the region to ditch the British monarch as their head of state and became a republic in November 2021.

The historic move later saw many leaders call to follow in their footsteps.

St Vincent and the Grenadines held a referendum to remove the late Queen Elizabeth II as their head of state in 2009 but voters opted to remain at the time. 

St Vincent and the Grenadines, Jamaica, Grenada, Antigua and Barbuda and Belize were just some of the 12 Commonwealth countries that joined in writing a letter days before the Coronation for the British monarch to begin “a process of reparations for stolen wealth”.

Mr Gonsalves hit back at claims of being resentful about the ongoing debate, warning that it could lead to hatred.

“The truth is this, as an individual I have much appreciation for King Charles, similarly I’m a proponent of reparations, for native genocide and the enslavement of African bodies and he is in favour of a constructive conversation, a mature conversation,” he said. 

“It’s a complicated matter, but the legacies of under development link to native genocide and the enslavement of African bodies that you [the British monarch and government] need to help us in a very special way in doing this repairing. 

“By the way, look Britain made and remade the Caribbean and in the process remade itself.  When I say Britain remade itself, you walk down the streets and you see the results of colonialism and the enslavement of African bodies.”

He was asked whether he wanted to see King Charles apologise for slavery, but he cast doubt on whether he would be given the freedom to do so before being asked if the PM Rishi Sunak should lead in the area.

He responded:  “Of course! The Dutch Prime Minister can do it, but a man of Indian descent can’t do it. I would find that strange.”

He admitted that he felt that due to Sunak’s Indian heritage he would have a “profound understanding” of why the impact of colonialism and reparations are important to Caribbean people. 

He added: “I see tremendous promise, I see the King, the new King as someone who can nudge the efficient side of government.”