Prince Harry should apologise for slavery, Colombian townsfolk say

His ancestors made ours go through terrible times and he can repent to show they don’t agree with what happened’

Prince Harry should apologise for his family’s role in the slave trade, residents of South America’s first “free town” have said.

On the third day of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s quasi royal tour of Colombia, the pair were welcomed to San Basilio’s main square by a group of musicians and children dressed in striking blue and white dresses.

The Duchess wore head-to-toe white, a sunhat and sunglasses, while Harry wore a blue shirt and beige trousers.

As they walked into the plaza, the couple stopped to look at the statue of Benkos Bioho, the town’s founder, who is shown reaching out of a stone pillar while clutching a chain.

Harry and Meghan were then treated to a performance by Kombliesa Mi, a local band famous for “rap of Palenque”.

A crowd of locals dressed in bright colours filled up the square behind them.

Ahead of their arrival, locals said they were hopeful Harry would use the moment to apologise for the British crown’s role in the colonial slave trade.

Harry has previously decried the “unjust” system that saw “enslaved people” generate wealth for the Crown, but has stopped short of apologising for his family’s role in the oppressive system.

I think he does have to [apologise], to free our hearts and our minds and ask for a pardon,” said Segundo Caceres Reyes, 49, president of the town’s local police.

Speaking from outside the force’s turquoise headquarters, he told The Telegraph: “We are in the process of forgiving and forgetting because we know how hard the facts are.”

Hairdresser Elida Canarte Diaz, 33, also said she believes Harry should apologise.

She said: “His ancestors made our ancestors go through terrible times and he can make good faith and repent to show that they don’t agree with what happened before.”

Francia Márquez, Colombia’s vice-president who invited Harry and the Duchess after watching their Netflix documentary, is one of the world’s leading voices in the call for reparations, setting up a national commission to “repair the historical debt owed”.