King Charles says slave trade "fills my heart with horror" but does not apologise
King Charles has told Commonwealth leaders that the transatlantic slave trade "fills my heart with horror and my soul with the most profound personal sorrow". He did not offer an apology. He spoke on 3 November 2026 at the opening ceremony of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, known as CHOGM, in Antigua, at the end of his Caribbean tour.
The Commonwealth is an association of 56 countries, most of them former territories of the British Empire. Its leaders meet regularly at CHOGM, which this year runs in St John's, Antigua and Barbuda, from 1 to 4 November. The King takes part as Head of the Commonwealth, a role that is symbolic and does not give him authority over any member government. The Commonwealth has published details of the meeting.
In his speech, the King described the slave trade as a "shameful chapter" of history. He said he had become more committed to finding ways to work in partnership to "address the wrongs of the past with action for the future". The speech did not set out any specific measures, and the King did not say what those partnerships would involve.
A small protest took place at the edge of the opening ceremony. Protesters held placards that read "You say you regret so apologise" and "Apologise for the greatest crime against humanity and let's have reparatory justice". Reparatory justice means action taken to repair the harm caused by slavery, which can include payments, formal apologies or other measures. The placards drew a line between regret and apology, which sits at the centre of the protest. Hello Magazine and BBC News both reported the speech and the protest.
The King's words were the most direct he has used on this subject during the tour, and they came in front of the heads of government of the member states. Slavery's place in British history has been debated for years, and a request for an apology or reparations has been a recurring part of Commonwealth discussions. Those debates continue after this speech.
The meeting continues until 4 November. Any further statements from the Commonwealth or from the King's household on the issues raised in the speech have not yet been published.
