King Charles to Address Britain's Role in the Slave Trade at Commonwealth Summit
King Charles will confront Britain's role in the transatlantic slave trade in his speech to Commonwealth leaders, Buckingham Palace has said. The palace says the King will do so with "unflinching honesty" and "sincere sorrow" when he addresses the opening of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, known as CHOGM, in Antigua and Barbuda on 3 November.
The King arrived in Antigua and Barbuda on 30 October. He is on a nine-day Caribbean tour that has already taken him to the Bahamas and Guyana. CHOGM is the regular gathering of leaders from the Commonwealth, the association of countries that were mostly once ruled by Britain.
The palace has also set out the limits of the speech. The King will speak in his capacity as Head of the Commonwealth, a symbolic role that is separate from the government. The palace said it would not be appropriate for him to address matters of UK Government policy. It added that a formal apology on behalf of the nation for the slave trade "remains a matter for the UK Government."
That question is now being debated in Downing Street. Prime Minister Andy Burnham wrote in the Guardian that he was open to considering a formal apology on behalf of the British state, as part of a structured dialogue with those affected by the slave trade. In the same stance, he ruled out reparations, the payments made to make up for past wrongs. He said British people today cannot be held liable for historical wrongs.
Palace sources, as reported by Hello magazine, said the King was told of Mr Burnham's position in good time. They said no changes were made to the speech or to the programme as a result.
The King has spoken on this subject before. On 27 October, he acknowledged the injustices of slavery and said Commonwealth leaders would discuss the issue at their summit the following week, Reuters and US News reported. Reuters has also reported that he has expressed sorrow for the suffering caused by slavery since 2022.
The speech is due on 3 November, when the Commonwealth leaders gather in Antigua and Barbuda.
