face the dark past

After the bodies of hundreds of children were discovered in Canada last year, Prince Charles, the British heir to the throne, called for an investigation during a visit to the North American country.

“As people sharing a planet, you have to find new ways to deal with the darker and more difficult aspects of the past,” said the 73-year-old in the Canadian city of St. Johns. Camilla (74)’s multi-day tour began on Tuesday. Part of that process was recognition, reconciliation and striving for reform, Charles said.

Last year, the bodies of hundreds of children were found near Catholic boarding schools in Canada.

This sparked much outrage in the Catholic Church, which between the 17th century and the 1990s housed indigenous children who had previously been moved from their families into facilities.

Charles and Camilla are traveling to represent Queen Elizabeth II, Canada’s head of state and celebrating her 70th anniversary on the throne this year. Prior to the visit, indigenous groups demanded an official apology from the royal family for the treatment of indigenous children in schools and educational institutions. The protests have also had an impact on recent visits by other members of the royal family. In the Caribbean, for example, local groups have demanded an apology from the royal family for slavery and other acts during the colonial era.