Charles III calls transatlantic slave trade a shameful chapter
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Nile Post
King Charles III called the transatlantic slave trade a shameful chapter in history, expressing his deep sorrow at the Commonwealth leaders’ summit in Antigua and Barbuda. However, he did not issue an official apology on behalf of the UK, reports the BBC, cited by Nile Post.
King Charles III called the transatlantic slave trade a “shameful chapter in history” and said he felt “deep personal sorrow” at the opening of the Commonwealth leaders’ summit in Antigua and Barbuda, the BBC reports. He said the legacy of the slave trade continues to weigh on the Caribbean islands and other members of the organisation.
The British monarch did not make an official apology. He said, however, that listening and learning had made him more determined to act in partnership to address past injustices. The summit brings together leaders of the 56 Commonwealth member states, an association made up mainly of former territories of the British Empire.
The remarks follow British Prime Minister Andy Burnham saying he was open to an apology, while judging that financial reparations would not be the right response. Andy Burnham on an apology over slavery reopened the debate in the UK on 31 October. The day before the King’s speech, London rejected reparations and proposed debt relief.
