Britain’s king Charles III has acknowledged the suffering caused by slavery amid his nine-day Caribbean tour. His “acknowledgement” was addressed to the growing calls for the UK to apologise and pay reparations for its role in the transatlantic slave trade.Speaking at a youth rally in Nassau, the Bahamas, on Tuesday, the 77-year-old monarch “recognised the great suffering and injustices of the past”. He also confirmed thats the legacy of slavery would be discussed by Commonwealth leaders at their upcoming summit.Charles will also visit Guyana and Antigua and Barbuda during the tour. He and Queen Camilla are scheduled to attend the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), which brings together leaders from 56 nations.
Caribbean leaders push for reparations
The king’s visit comes amid renewed demands for Britain to address its historical role in the forced transportation of millions of Africans across the Atlantic into slavery.Commonwealth Secretary-General Shirley Botchwey said last week that the time had come to discuss reparations. Asked by Sky News whether the king should apologise for Britain’s role in the slave trade, she said, “It wouldn’t hurt to have that.”“That’s what the countries have asked for,” Botchwey added. “I don’t believe we can run away from it. But it is important to determine the form that reparations should take, and that is something that will emerge eventually.”The Caribbean Community, known as Caricom, which has 23 member and associate member states, also said last month that it would push for reparations to be discussed at CHOGM.“The Caribbean has consistently asserted that reparations is fundamentally about justice,” Caricom Secretary-General Carla Barnett said. “It is about recognition, accountability and transformation, and about building a just and equitable future for the descendants of those who, as the chattel of colonial owners, endured untold suffering, loss of life and freedom.”
UK government rules out formal apology
Despite the pressure, Buckingham Palace has said Charles will not issue an apology during the tour, arguing that such matters are “matters for governments to address”. The palace added that he would “not shy away from the darkest days of our past.”As monarch, Charles represents Britain abroad on the advice of the government. UK Foreign Office sources have told CNN that there is no legal case for reparations because slavery was not illegal when it was practised.At the previous CHOGM in 2024, Charles said “the most painful aspects of our past continue to resonate”, but stopped short of issuing a formal apology.Britain’s Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said on Tuesday that reparations were not a “reasonable request”. He said he was “sensitive to British history” and added that “we should be able to talk about it”, but argued that current generations should not be held responsible for past events.
Britain’s slave trade legacy
The monarchy has adopted a more conciliatory tone in recent years. During a visit to Kenya in 2023, Charles said the “wrongdoings of the past are a cause of the greatest sorrow and the deepest regret.”An estimated 12.5 million Africans were abducted and sold into slavery by European merchants between the 15th and 19th centuries. Britain is believed to have been responsible for transporting about 3.2 million of them.When slavery was abolished in Britain in 1834, the government compensated slave owners an amount equivalent to £17 billion ($22.5 billion), according to research by University College London. Enslaved people received no compensation.On Wednesday, Charles is due to meet the Bahamas’ prime minister and governor general. He will also meet families of four Royal Bahamas Defence Force Marines killed in May 1980 when Cuban MiG fighter aircraft sank HMBS Flamingo following a dispute over illegal fishing. His schedule also includes an environmental engagement and a garden reception.