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A few hours after landing across the Atlantic on May 17, the princely couple will attend “a solemn moment of reflection and prayer” in a garden dedicated to young victims, in the presence of members of the indigenous community, the services of the couple at Clarence House.
Last year, the Catholic Church in Canada had to issue an official apology to Indigenous peoples after the discovery of more than a thousand graves near former residential schools, bringing to light a dark page in Canadian history and the policy of forced assimilation of First Nations.
Between the end of the 19th century and the 1990s, some 150,000 Aboriginal children were forcibly enrolled in 139 residential schools across Canada. Many of them were subjected to ill-treatment or sexual abuse, and more than 4,000 died there, according to a commission of inquiry which concluded that there was a real “cultural genocide”.
Pope Francis presented a historic “apology” for the tragedy in early April and expressed his wish to visit the country at the end of July.
In September 2021, Queen Elizabeth, head of the Canadian state member of the Commonwealth, had recognized “the painful history that the indigenous people suffered in residential schools in Canada” as well as “the work that remained to be done to building an inclusive society”.
During their three-day visit on the occasion of the jubilee festivities marking 70 years of the reign of Elizabeth II, Charles, 73, and Camilla, 74, will also meet members of the Ukrainian diaspora established in Canada.
The royal family is increasing its trips abroad as the queen’s platinum jubilee approaches, celebrated for four days in June, not without coming under fire.
Last month, Prince William’s visit to the Caribbean led to a tough showdown as the prince and his wife were called on to apologize for the UK’s slavery past.
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