Prince Charles.Photo: Arthur Edwards - Pool/Getty
Prince CharlesandCamilla, Duchess of Cornwallhavearrived in Canada— and the royal heir wasted no time in addressing the need to “come to terms with the darker and more difficult aspects of the past.”
Prince Charles, 73, gave a speech at the Confederation Building shortly after landing, thanking Canadians for their warm welcome as they kick off a three-day tour in honor ofQueen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee, as Canada is one of the 14 countries outside of the U.K. where the Queen is head of state.
Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall and Prince Charles.Chris Jackson/Getty
“As we look to our collective future, as one people sharing one planet, we must find new ways to come to terms with the darker and more difficult aspects of the past: acknowledging, reconciling and striving to do better. It is a process that starts with listening,” he said. “I have greatly appreciated the opportunity to discuss with the Governor-General the vital process of reconciliation in this country – not a one-off act, of course, but an ongoing commitment to healing, respect and understanding. I know that our visit here this week comes at an important moment — with Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples across Canada committing to reflect honestly and openly on the past and to forge a new relationship for the future.”
He added, “As we begin this Platinum Jubilee visit, which will take us from the newest member of Confederation to among the oldest communities in the North — and to a much-storied capital at the heart of a great nation — my wife and I look forward to listening to you and learning about the future you are working to build.”
Starting in the 19th century, thousands of Indigenous children were forcibly removed from their families and communities and enrolled in a Christian-run network of residential schools — and last year, hundreds of unmarked graves were discovered at the side of former residential schools for Indigenous children. The process started when Canada was still a British colony. In recent years, community leaders have called for an apology from the Anglican Church, which ran dozens of the schools until 1969.
Prince Charles.Arthur Edwards/Pool/Getty
After the speech, the royal couple took part “in a solemn moment of reflection and prayer at the Heart Garden, on the grounds of Government House, with Indigenous leaders and community members in the spirit of reconciliation,” Chris Fitzgerald, Deputy Private Secretary said last month. “Heart Gardens are in memory of all Indigenous children who were lost to the residential school system, in recognition of those who survived, and the families of both.”
Charles and Camilla are expected to focus on local communities, continuing a relationship the Prince of Wales has fostered over decades while on visits to Canada, during the tour.
“Throughout the tour, Their Royal Highnesses will take the opportunity to continue to engage with Indigenous communities. Over five decades, HRH continues to learn from Indigenous peoples in Canada and around the world,” Fitzgerald said. “[The Prince] recognizes their deep ties to the land and water and the critical traditional knowledge they hold to restore harmony between people and nature.”
Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall.Jacob King/Pool/Getty
In April,Pope Francisapologized for theinvolvement of Catholic church members.
“For the deplorable conduct of those members of the Catholic Church, I ask for God’s forgiveness and I want to say to you with all my heart: I am very sorry. And I join my brothers, the Canadian bishops, in asking your pardon,” he said, according toVatican News. “It is chilling to think of determined efforts to instill a sense of inferiority, to rob people of their cultural identity, to sever their roots, and to consider all the personal and social effects that this continues to entail: unresolved traumas that have become intergenerational traumas.”
Prince William and Kate Middleton in Jamaica on March 24.Karwai Tang/WireImage
During his tour of the Caribbean, William, 39, expressed his “sorrow” at the “abhorrent” history of slavery that shames the U.K. — though for some, he didn’t go far enough and actually apologize.
At the end of the tour, the Duke of Cambridgereleased a landmark statement, reflecting on the future governance of the Caribbean nations.
“I know that this tour has brought into even sharper focus questions about the past and the future. In Belize, Jamaica and The Bahamas, that future is for the people to decide upon,” he said.
source: people.com
