King Charles III told Commonwealth leaders in Antigua and Barbuda on Tuesday, November 3, that Britain’s slave trade across the Atlantic was a shameful part of history and filled him with horror and sorrow, but he did not formally apologize as calls for compensation continued to affect the summit.
His speech opened the leaders’ meeting of the Commonwealth Heads of Government in St. John’s. Representatives of 56 countries attended, many of them from former British colonies. Charles said the trade’s effects are still felt in Commonwealth countries.
He said learning more about its history had made him more determined to address past wrongs through cooperation today. He identified education, jobs, trade between member states and the ability to cope with climate change as areas for practical action. He also noted the Royal Navy’s role in ending the trade.
The debate gained momentum after British Prime Minister Andy Burnham said he was open to a formal apology. Burnham raised changing the terms of debt as a way to support poorer Commonwealth countries, but ruled out payments to make up for past harm. Protesters outside the meeting called for Britain to acknowledge its role and promise to make amends.
Their calls highlighted the difference between the King’s expression of personal sorrow and campaigners’ demands for accountability.