The King has paid his respects to the fallen as he inspected the troops of the Royal Bahamas Defence Force in a solemn start to the second day of his tour.

The King, wearing a set of medals with the Order of Merit neck order - and, of course, his sunglasses - in the bright heat of Coral Harbour on the island of New Providence, spent an hour with the RBDF, speaking to hundreds of service men, women and veterans.

He laid a wreath at the 'Flamingo Monument', which commemorates the four Bahamian Marines who died in the sinking of HMBS Flamingo on 10th May 1980. 

A handwritten card, signed Charles R, carried the message 'in everlasting remembrance'.

In his first of six engagements today, the King was received by Commander Defence Force, Commodore Floyd Moxey and other dignitaries, with lines of troops waiting in their distinctive white uniforms in the sun.

Taking his place on a dais, the King took a Royal Salute from the Guard of Honour and Colour Party, formed by 106 Officers and Marines. 

The Band played a Royal Fanfare and the National Anthem of The Bahamas, before moving on to tunes including I Vow to Thee My Country and Abide With Me.

The King also viewed a plaque commemorating his visit, alongside Coronation Medals, which will be presented to Royal Bahamas Defence Force personnel at a future date.

 

Proceeding to the 'Flamingo Monument', the King was told about the history of HMBS Flamingo, which sunk when it was attacked by Cuban MiG fighter aircraft, killing Marines Fenrick Sturrup, Austin Smith, David Tucker and Edward Williams.

The King met family members of each of the fallen Marines, and surviving crew member Force Chief Petty Officer Gregory Curry.

He then stepped onto HMBS Lawrence Major, a 56 metre 'roll on/roll off' vessel whose primary duty is response to natural disasters. 

It is currently moored, and stationary when the King was on board with the ship's Commanding Officer, Commander Alexis Brown.

On board, he spoke to dozens of service and retired service men and women, asking them about their roles and length of service.

Among them were the Ship's Company, Disaster Risk Management Unit, retired members of the Defence Force, RBDF Rangers Youth Programme, Bahamas National Youth Guards, RBDF veterans, Officers, Warrant Officers, Senior Rates and Marines.

When he stopped to meet the Youth Guards, he asked about their backgrounds and told proud teenagers that they must be 'very highly trained'.    

Later in the day, the King spent time viewing conservation projects at Bonefish Pond National Park, highlighting the urgent need for environmental restoration and climate-resilience projects in areas such as the Bahamas which are particularly vulnerable to climate change.

He will undertake the first of two tree plantings of the day, before heading off to The Bahamas Boxing Academy which is helping offer opportunities for local youngsters through sport.

In the afternoon, the King will also be greeted by the Prime Minister at the House of Assembly on Parliament Square - his second major meet and greet of the tour - and speak to Bahamian students involved with his King's Foundation building programmes before the Junkanoo.

Tonight he will attend a garden reception at Government House where he will meet Bahamians who have made significant contributions to the nation. 

King Charles is currently on a nine-day visit to the Caribbean at the request of the British government taking in the Bahamas, Guyana and finally Antigua and Barbuda, where he will be joined by Prime Minister Andy Burnham for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM).

The trip is, however, being dogged by calls from local campaigners for a formal apology from the British government over the country's role in the historic transatlantic slave trade and reparations.

The King, who acts on the advice of his ministers, addressed the thorny issue within hours of landing on Tuesday night saying: 'It is only right that we should acknowledge the great suffering of the past, in these islands and beyond.'

Although he stopped short of offering an apology or financial compensation in line with government policy, aides say His Majesty will 'not shy away' from addressing the growing clamour that threatens to overshadow his visit to the Bahamas, Guyana and Antigua and Barbuda this week.

A spokesman for the King made clear he would face 'the most shameful aspects of our past'.

Whether it will be enough remains to be seen, with the Bahamas National Reparations Committee having already warned him: 'Don't come empty-handed.'

Buckingham Palace insists that His Majesty is 'alive' to the local strength of feeling, particularly given his role both as Head of the Commonwealth and as monarch in two of the countries he is visiting, the Bahamas and Antigua and Barbuda, where calls for action by the UK have been growing. 'His Majesty will as usual not seek to ignore the past,' an aide said.

As a result, he will tackle the 'backdrop of wider discussions on colonial legacy' head-on in a number of his speeches, as well as visiting sites with historic links to slavery.

But he will continue to be mindful of the British government's firm line on the matter which, while acknowledging the 'abhorrence' of the historic transatlantic slave trade and its legacy that endures today, firmly rejects demands for compensation as it was not illegal at the time.

Any official apology from the King could be seen as opening the floodgates to billions in claims against the UK.