Antigua's Prime Minister Wants a Republic, but Still Serves King Charles

Antigua and Barbuda's prime minister, Gaston Browne, says he wants his Caribbean country to replace King Charles as head of state. He made the case while the King was touring the region, and he said he still serves the King and respects him.

Browne told ITV News that he is a republican. He would personally like to see Antigua and Barbuda become a republic, which means its leader would be an elected or appointed president instead of a monarch. Town & Country reported that he also said the choice belongs to the country's people.

That choice is not a simple one. The country's constitution requires a two-thirds vote from citizens to change the constitution and replace the British monarch as head of state. A head of state is the official who represents the country in ceremonies and on the world stage, even when real power sits with elected leaders. In Antigua's case, that role belongs to the King, who is also king of 14 other countries.

Browne made the remarks shortly after attending a church service with King Charles and Queen Camilla. The King had also attended the annual Antigua and Barbuda Independence Ceremonial Parade. Browne said he would keep giving the King courtesies and respect as monarch until any republic question is put to voters.

The republic debate is tied to a bigger question: slavery. Browne said a formal apology from the United Kingdom for Britain's role in the transatlantic slave trade would not remove the need for reparations, which are payments meant to make up for past wrongs. He said the history was painful and that "its consequences have not disappeared with the passage of time," according to the BBC. He also warned that past atrocities could happen again if reparations are not paid, as The Independent reported.

Reports said the King was set to address slavery with "unflinching honesty" and "sincere sorrow" in a keynote speech to the Commonwealth heads of government summit. The Commonwealth is a group of mostly former British territories that cooperate on trade, sport and other shared goals. Browne has said a formal apology alone is not enough, and LBC reported that he wants the King removed as head of state to go further than an apology.

LBC also reported that Browne called on Andy Burnham, a British politician, in connection with Burnham's call for King Charles to be removed as Antigua and Barbuda's head of state. LBC carried that report. Browne has said he has great respect for the King as a person, even while he holds to his view that Antigua should choose its own head of state.

The visit had its warm moments too. The King got soaked in the rain during his time in Antigua, according to the Fresno Bee. The royal household's website lists the autumn tour to The Bahamas, Guyana and Antigua and Barbuda with a date of 28 October 2026.

For American readers, the case is a reminder that the British monarchy is also the head of state for several independent countries outside the United Kingdom. Each one makes its own decision about whether to keep the King. Antigua's process would run through its own voters, not through London.