King Charles has expressed “profound personal sorrow” over slavery but stopped short of apologising for Britain’s role, as he addressed Commonwealth leaders in Antigua and Barbuda amid calls for reparations.
Speaking at the opening of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in St John’s, the King described the transatlantic trade in enslaved people as a “monstrous injustice” that continued to cast a shadow over member nations.
“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 said.
King Charles also urged leaders to learn from the past, while pointing to the role played by British institutions in ending slavery after it was abolished in the 1800s.
“We cannot change the actions of those who came before us. We can, however, learn from the past,” he said. He added that the Royal Navy had played a leading part in ending the international trade in enslaved people.
The remarks came as Antigua and Barbuda’s prime minister, Gaston Browne, renewed calls for discussions about compensation. He has said the issue had “not disappeared with the passage of time” because of its lasting impact on societies.
Protesters gathered in Antigua holding signs calling for reparations from Britain, while the King spoke to leaders including Australia’s prime minister, Anthony Albanese, Canada’s Mark Carney and Andy Burnham of the UK.
The meeting is the Commonwealth’s first since its 2024 gathering in Samoa, which was also marked by debate over slavery and the forced removal of workers from Pacific islands, known as “blackbirding”.
King Charles also warned of the risks posed by technologies being released at “dizzying speed” and called on the Commonwealth to address the changes they would bring.
