Antigua's PM welcomes Charles - then says he wants to REMOVE him as head of state, blasts Kemi Badenoch and demands UK pay up billions over slavery 'so there isn't a repeat'

The Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda has said he personally wants to see King Charles removed as his country's monarch and insists reparations should be paid by the UK over slavery.Gaston Browne was speaking to ITV News after he attended a Sunday morning church service alongside the sovereign and wife Queen Camilla, who has now joined her husband on his Caribbean Tour.The politician said he had great respect for the British Monarch, but repeated his view that Antigua should replace him as head of state.'I can say to you, I am a Republican. So if you asked me about my personal view, I would like to see Antigua and Barbuda become a republic… but I have to recognise and accept the fact that there are certain constitutional provisions to become a republic, and that, ultimately, it is the decision of the people to determine whether or not we become a republic,' he said.The constitution requires more than two-thirds of Antiguans to vote to replace the British Monarch and change the constitution.'So until such time as the question is put to them, I have to accept that, you know, King Charles remains. I serve the King, and he will continue to benefit from, you know, all of the courtesies and respect as our King… but again, you know, from time to time we have to test the waters.'Mr Browne also said Kemi Badenoch did not deserve to be a prime minister after the Conservative Leader said the time for making apologies for the slave trade should stop. Governor General of Antigua and Barbuda Rodney Williams and his wife Sandra Williams welcome Britain's King Charles and Queen Camilla before a church service The Queen was wearing a beautiful turquoise chiffon dress by Anna Valentine, with turquoise and diamond earrings from her private collection Members of Pathfinders group and members of The Girl Guides Association of Antigua and Barbuda hold flags on the day Britain's King Charles and Queen Camilla attend a church serviceAsked about Kemi Badenoch's view that Britain should stop apologising for the past and that Caribbean nations were using the Commonwealth summit to extract 'global welfare' from the UK, Mr Browne lashed out at her.'Well, I think she's misguided. And no wonder she is the leader of the opposition and not the Prime Minister. Right?'Asked if she should reassess her position, Gaston Browne said: 'Well, that's up to her. But we do not share her sentiments.'It came after Prime Minister Andy Burnham announced on Friday that his government was prepared to talk about an apology – which no British prime minister has done before – but said the British public should not pay compensation for what happened in the past.Mr Browne said: 'I understand the politics in the UK, in which it may be a difficult proposition for him to agree to any form of reparations, but that does not negate the need for reparations.'He insisted that Caribbean nations were 'not coming to Britain and making demands that you cannot afford' but he argued the compensation money should be found in Britain's budget for overseas development.And he warned about the consequences for the world if Britain did not pay money for its role in the transatlantic slave trade.'If there is no compensation, there's likely to be a repeat of those atrocities sometime in the future. And you can see what is happening globally already,' he said. Buckingham Palace had made clear before the trip that they were approaching the tour based on existing government advice which was that there will be absolutely no apology and no reparations from the British government The King is in Antigua in his role as Head of the Commonwealth for the biannual CHOGM gatheringHe also said there could 'if there is not some form of deterrent, there could be a repeat'.When asked if he was referring to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, he just answered, 'you can see what is happening globally'.The Antiguan politician told ITV News: 'I'm saying here that countries are becoming far more brutal. And if there's not some form of compensation and even liability for future generations, the present generation must understand that the actions could also affect future generations.'Camilla, 79, who flew in from the UK on Thursday and was reunited with the King when he arrived from Guyana on Friday night, attended a church service this morning, the first time she has been seen in public this week.The couple, who enjoyed a rare down day together at a luxury beach resort on the tropical island on Saturday, were at St John's Pentecostal House of Restoration for an Anglican church service.They were greeted by a lively steel pan band playing a medley of well-known tunes and a line up of the flags of the 56 Commonwealth nations.Part of the broader Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) 2026 programme, the service centred on themes of unity and partnership.The King and Queen were told the voices of small states must be heard for there to be 'true partnerships' in the Commonwealth while Caribbean nations welcomed the UK's offer of slavery apology talks. Queen Camilla and the wife of Governor General of Antigua and Barbuda Rodney Williams, Sandra Williams, look on before a church service during the 45th anniversary of Antigua and Barbuda's Independence Day King Charles and Queen Camilla with Lady Sandra Williams at an Anglican church service at St John's Pentecostal House of Restoration during their visit to Antigua and BarbudaAnglican Bishop Ernest Flemming delivered the message and told those gathered, including cricket legend Sir Viv Richards and Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne, the 'prosperity' of the Commonwealth must be a 'shared prosperity'.At the church Their Majesties were greeted by the Governor-General of Antigua and Barbuda, Sir Rodney Williams, and his elegant wife, Lady Sandra Williams.The Queen was wearing a beautiful turquoise chiffon dress by Anna Valentine, with turquoise and diamond earrings from her private collection. Her Majesty is also wearing a multicoloured Antigua beaded bracelet made by a local vendor.His Majesty's pocket square is made of the traditional Antiguan and Barbudan Independence Day madras.His Majesty was also wearing a colourful tie gave to him by Barry Humphries's widow – better known as Dame Edna Everage – from among his collection. The pair had developed a warm friendship over the years.The CHOGM, held every two years, has the theme, Accelerating Partnerships and Investment for a Prosperous Commonwealth, but talks were expected to be dominated by discussions of Andy Burnham's offer to Commonwealth nations to discuss a slavery apology from Britain.The Prime Minister expressed 'my sorrow and regret for the pain and suffering of so many millions' but ruled out considering financial reparations. The senior cleric, Bishop of the North Eastern Caribbean and Aruba, said: '…accelerating partnerships must mean more than signing agreements or exchanging promises.'True partnership requires mutual respect, it requires listening, it requires fairness.'It requires that the voices of small states, young people, women, persons with disabilities, indigenous communities, and those living at the margins are not merely heard ceremonially but included meaningfully in decision making.'A genuine partnership does not ask what can I take; it asks what can we build together?'The service featured hymns led by the Antigua and Barbuda Youth Orchestra, and their vocal ensemble, Inspire Youth Choir, which won the 2016 Commonwealth Choir Competition and performed at Buckingham Palace in 2018.READ MORE: Andy Burnham says he is 'open' to UK making a formal apology for slaveryREAD MORE: Burnham faces Labour calls to go further after paving way for slave trade apologyREAD MORE: Prime Minister's staggering naivety has left Charles in a diplomatic quagmireREAD MORE: Amid calls for an apology and huge payout for Britain's role in the slave trade 300 years ago, King placed in impossible position by self-lacerating Church of England leaders determined to splurge £100m on reparationsREAD MORE: Burnham slave trade pledge sparks new reparations row for the King on Caribbean tour as PM's ill-timed intervention triggers fresh calls for billionsREAD MORE: Campaigner accuses King Charles of 'walking in a crime scene' on his Caribbean tourREAD MORE: Clumsy Burnham has embarrassed the King - and himself - over slavery