King tells Commonwealth leaders that Britain’s role in slave trade was ‘shameful’ but stops short of apology, as it happened
Speech by Charles marks formal opening of Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (Chogm) in Antigua Q: Do you think the UK should reconsider Commonwealth membership, given other countries just keep asking us for slavery reparations? Badenoch said she did not agree with that “because most Commonwealth countries aren’t doing this”. China did all sorts of things. It’s not out there apologising. The purpose of the apology is to make us look weak. It is to make this country look weak. And once we start looking weak, then we have every man and his dog making demands and sending us an invoice, whic
The King has told Commonwealth leaders the transatlantic slave trade “fills my heart with horror and my soul with the most profound personal sorrow”, but did not offer an apology. As the Press Association reports, in his address to presidents and prime ministers, Charles said his commitment was growing to find ways to “address the wrongs of the past with action for the future”. He delivered his speech against the background of Andy Burnham announcing a change in long-established government policy and making an offer of talks on a slavery apology but not financial reparations. The King told the leaders of the Commonwealth’s 56 member states meeting in Antigua:
double quotation mark Our history inspires us, can appal us, yet it can always teach us. We cannot change the actions of those who came before us. We can, however, learn from the past.
The transatlantic trade in enslaved persons still casts a shadow over these islands and other members of our Commonwealth. 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.
And yet history also teaches us that evil need not have the last word; that character and courage can combine to overcome the most monstrous injustice, as they did with the determination to end international trade in enslaved people, in which the Royal Navy played such a leading role.
The more I have furthered my own understanding of the issues, through listening, learning and looking, the more committed I have become to finding ways for us to work in modern partnership to address the wrongs of the past with action for the future.
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