St. John's (Antigua and Barbuda) (AFP) – Charles III will address with "frankness" the "shameful aspects" of the United Kingdom's history when he addresses Commonwealth leaders next week, Buckingham Palace said on Saturday, at a time when the country's role in the transatlantic slave trade is the subject of renewed attention.
Published on: 02/11/2026 - 08:15
For years, the royal family and the British government have been called by countries victimized by the slave trade, from which the United Kingdom profited for centuries, to apologize and pave the way for financial reparations.
This sensitive subject has resurfaced as King Charles III makes a nine-day visit to the Caribbean.
He is scheduled to address Commonwealth Heads of Government (CHOGM) in Antigua and Barbuda on Tuesday. British Prime Minister Andy Burnham will also be present at this summit.
The Labor leader said on Saturday he was open to the United Kingdom making a formal apology on the highly sensitive subject of slavery, but ruled out any idea of financial reparations.
In his speech on Tuesday, he can be expected to raise these issues "with uncompromising frankness, deep sadness and with respect for the wider discussions that will take place between the governments concerned", said a spokesperson for Buckingham.
The king, who arrived in Antigua and Barbuda on Friday evening, will speak in his capacity as head of the Commonwealth, which brings together 56 member states, mainly former British colonies. It would therefore "not be appropriate for him to address policy issues linked to the position of the British government", said the spokesperson.
“Open to these requests”
In an article published in the Guardian on Saturday, Andy Burnham called for us to “face the past”.
“I want to express my sadness and regret for the pain and suffering endured by so many millions, and recognize how it continues to shape our world today,” he wrote.
The transatlantic slave trade constituted “a brutal and barbaric violation” of the rights of these people, added Labor, which came to power in July. “We propose to engage in a structured dialogue with those affected by the transatlantic slave trade.”
“Listening to calls for a formal apology on behalf of the British state will be an important part of this process, and I am open to these requests,” he continued.
Andy Burnham, however, closed the door to financial compensation: "I do not think that the British today can be held responsible for historical wrongs, however heinous, which occurred in another era, under different laws, and in which they did not personally take part."
“Suffering”
In the Bahamas on Tuesday, the first day of his visit, the king recognized "the great suffering of the past." He previously described slavery as the “darkest days” of British history.
But that's not enough, for many in the Caribbean.
“There should be an apology,” Daliesha Murray, a receptionist in the Bahamas, told AFP. Small groups of demonstrators held signs reading: “Pay what you owe us.”
Before meeting the king, Guyana's President Irfaan Ali told ITV News that acknowledging historical wrongs was only a "first step". “Now apologizing is the next step,” he added.
Between the 16th century and the end of the 19th century, some 15 million men, women and children from Africa were victims of transatlantic trafficking, according to the UN.
The United Kingdom prides itself on having played a leading role in the abolition of slavery. In 1833, the British Parliament passed legislation to abolish slavery throughout most of the British Empire.
© 2026 AFP
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