King Charles calls the slave trade a 'shameful chapter' at the Commonwealth summit, with no apology
At the opening of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Antigua and Barbuda, King Charles said the transatlantic slave trade fills his heart with horror, but he stopped short of a formal apology or any mention of reparations. Prime Minister Andy Burnham has said Britain is open to apologising but will not pay reparations.
King Charles described the transatlantic slave trade as a "shameful chapter of history" as he opened the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in St John's, Antigua and Barbuda, on Tuesday 3 November. He did not offer a formal apology and did not mention reparations, the two issues dominating the summit.
"The transatlantic trade in enslaved persons still casts a shadow over these islands and other Members of our Commonwealth," the King said, according to the text published by the Royal Family. "As I have said before, that shameful chapter of history is one that fills my heart with horror and my soul with the most profound personal sorrow."
He added that the more he had deepened his understanding "through listening, learning and looking", the more committed he had become to finding ways of "modern partnership" to address the wrongs of the past "with action for the future". He pointed to better access to education, investment in jobs and opportunities, trade between Commonwealth countries and climate resilience as areas where help could be given, and noted the Royal Navy's role in ending the international slave trade.
The speech came days after British Prime Minister Andy Burnham said his government is open to formally apologising for Britain's role in slavery, while ruling out financial reparations. Burnham has also proposed leading a debt-restructuring effort for the Commonwealth's poorest countries. Ministers describe a "structured dialogue" with the affected countries, and the BBC reports that any apology could come around the time Britain hosts the G20 summit in Manchester in November 2027.
On Wednesday, Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband told the BBC's Newscast podcast that an apology would not mean higher costs for British taxpayers, and said earlier governments had tried to "sweep it under the carpet". The previous summit, in Samoa in 2024, ended in a heated dispute over the same question. Caribbean leaders and campaigners have stepped up their calls for an apology and reparations as leaders from the Commonwealth's 56 member states meet in Antigua.