King Charles and Queen Camilla Kick Off First Day in Kenya Amid Calls for Colonial Apology

The King and Queen are on their first tour to a Commonwealth country since the start of Charles’ reign

King Charles and Queen Camilla's official state visit to Kenya kicked off on Tuesday as calls for reparations and apologies from the British government and monarchy have intensified.

As their day of outings began, the royal couple received a welcome from President Dr. William Ruto and First Lady of the Republic of Kenya Rachel Ruto. The royals, who arrived in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi on Monday evening, will help mark the 60th anniversary of the country's independence during their visit.

The history of Kenya has been at the front of Charles' mind. He is expected to address some of the “painful aspects” of British colonial rule and acknowledge the torture and violence against the Mau Mau rebels of the 1950s.

However, despite calls from protestors and some historians, he is not expected to apologize. Writing in the U.K. newspaper The Observer, Harvard University professor and the author of Imperial Reckoning: The Untold Story of Britain's Gulag in Kenya Caroline Elkins said Sunday, “Firstly, King Charles III, you need to stop choking on those two words, 'I apologize.' Just cough them up.”

Upon their arrival on Tuesday morning, they watched as the Kenyan Defence Force band played the anthems of the two countries. After a twenty-one gun salute, the couple planted two native trees before going inside the grand home for bilateral meetings.

The King and President held talks about the two countries shared interests while Camilla was shown a gallery of images capturing the work of the First Lady’s organization, Mama Doing Good, which focuses on environment and climate action and the economic empowerment of women.

Later, the couple headed to the Uhuru Gardens and National Monument and Museum to absorb themselves in the stories of Kenya’s history.

Charles and President Ruto laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior and viewed the Mũgomo Tree at the site of the declaration of Kenya’s independence in 1963.

Related: King Charles and Queen Camilla View a Piece of Queen Elizabeth's Royal History Before State Visit to Kenya

Then, inside the atrium of the museum, Charles and Camilla were joined by local schoolkids to view exhibits documenting Kenya’s history and the events leading to the country’s independence.

Poignantly, at the Uhuru (which means freedom in Kiswahili) garden, Charles and Camilla acknowledged the statues of Mekatilili wa Menza and Dedan Kimathi, who fought for Kenyan independence, before walking through the Hall of Witness. They also walked through the Tunnel of Martyrs, which commemorates those Kenyans who have lost their lives in conflict throughout the nation’s history.

On his last visit to the continent of Africa in June 2022, Charles told an audience in Kigali, Rwanda of his “personal sorrow."

"I cannot describe the depths of my personal sorrow at the suffering of so many, as I continue to deepen my own understanding of slavery's enduring impact," he said. "Many of those wrongs belong to an earlier age with different – and, in some ways, lesser – values. By working together, we are building a new and enduring friendship."

“This is an issue that His Majesty takes profoundly seriously,” the palace said in a statement to PEOPLE last week.

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Later on Tuesday, Charles is expected to make a speech at a state dinner where he will address some of the painful consequences of British colonial rule.

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