Britainupdated 31m ago2 min read
Archive photo · 10 July 2023King Charles Tells Commonwealth Leaders Antigua Transatlantic Slave Trade Is “Shameful”
“British officials reportedly insisted that discussions of reparations for slavery should not be on the agenda”
“A palace spokesperson also said ‘it would not be appropriate’ for the king to announce a change in government policy.”
Photo: White House / US federal government, Public domain · Cropped for layout
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King Charles expresses profound personal sorrow over transatlantic slave trade at CHOGM Antigua. Describes slavery as a 'shameful chapter' casting a shadow over Commonwealth.
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Sorrow at CHOGM
King Charles III told Commonwealth leaders at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Antigua that the transatlantic slave trade is “a shameful chapter of history” that continues to cast a shadow over Commonwealth countries. King Charles III said, “That shameful chapter of history is one that fills my heart with horror and my soul with the most profound personal sorrow,” as he opened the summit.
King Charles III said history carries both the achievements and the failures of previous generations, and he emphasized that its consequences continue to resonate in the present. King Charles III also highlighted the Royal Navy’s role in efforts to end international trade in enslaved people, saying it played “such a leading role.”
Apology debate widens
Andy Burnham suggested he would be open to the monarch issuing a formal apology for slavery to the Commonwealth, a proposal the Conservatives opposed. Ralph Gonsalves told the Guardian that Britain came “kicking and screaming” to the reparations conversation and said his understanding was that British officials warned Burnham would not attend if reparations were formally included.
The Guardian reported that an FCDO spokesperson said, “We categorically reject this completely untrue accusation,” and added that the UK had approached the conversation “in good faith.” Gonsalves said the danger of not putting reparations formally on the agenda was that discussions would still be raised in retreats and other settings, even if not on the official agenda.
What is at stake
The Guardian reported that slavery reparations were not on the official agenda of the Commonwealth Heads of Government summit in Antigua and Barbuda, with priorities listed as trade, climate resilience and finance, sustainable debt, democracy and investment in opportunities for young people. The Guardian quoted Prof Sir Hilary Beckles, chair of the Caribbean Community (Caricom) Reparations Commission, describing the meeting as “the Chogm of reparations” and saying reparatory justice was “the number one item” for the Caribbean.
Guyana’s president Irfaan Ali welcomed Burnham’s statement and called for a Commonwealth subcommittee to work out details of the dialogue over the next six to 12 months. Barbados’s prime minister Mia Mottley thanked Burnham for “breaking new ground,” while saying, “On reparations in particular, our views differ, and we will say so plainly and respectfully.”