Buckingham Palace has said that King Charles III is set to speak on the lasting pain of the transatlantic slave trade, during the final leg of his Caribbean tour.
Whilst in Antigua, The King will address Commonwealth leaders, with the country’s Prime Minister, Andy Burnham, that he was open to the UK formally apologising for its role in slavery. The British government has never formally apologised for slavery or offered to pay reparations. Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch described any talks about apologies as a "distraction” from solving any other issues.
“The transatlantic slave trade happened centuries ago,” she said on BBC Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg.
“It is time for the Commonwealth to start looking forwards, not endlessly backwards," the Nigerian born Badenoch said. With the King set to make his speech at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), a Palace spokesperson said that "he will not shy away from confronting the most shameful aspects of the past during this visit." The Caribbean tour has again thrust King Charles into the debates over the UK's colonial legacy in the region.
In the Bahamas, he delivered a speech where he spoke of the "suffering of the past". In Guyana, he visited the site of a Slave Rebellion where hundreds of enslaved people were killed. Buckingham Palace said it was a moment for the King to learn more about the history of slavery and resistance.
His engagements have also covered the environment, opportunities for young people and trade relationships with the UK. Royal sources have stressed that the decisions around making an apology are a matter for government, not the Palace, with one source saying: "His Majesty is well practised on the diplomatic tightrope.
"He is up for challenging visits with complex issues and relationships in play. He sees it as his role to 'bat for Britain', the Realms and wider Commonwealth." Strengthen the work of the Commonwealth as an organisation will be welcomed by King Charles, who views the 56-country collective as a powerful vehicle for change.
The King was set to give the opening speech at CHOGM, which gathers leaders from those 56 states every two years in a different part of the Commonwealth. Each biennial meeting has a theme and this year's is officially called Accelerating Partnerships and Investment for a Prosperous Commonwealth. Queen Camilla is with the King in Antigua, ahead of joining celebrations to mark Independence Day on the island, where there was a reminder of what the intended focus of the week will be.
Bishop of North Eastern Caribbean and Aruba, Ernest Flemming, told the congregation the "prosperity" of the Commonwealth must be a "shared prosperity.
"True partnership requires mutual respect, it requires listening, it requires fairness." King Charles and Queen Camilla attended a church service on Sunday morning, ahead of a day of engagements, in what has been said to be a difficult few months for the King - with developments surrounding his brother, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, and the publication of a book by his former brother-in-law, Earl Spencer. In addition, his son the Duke of Sussex made a surprise move back to the UK with his wife Meghan The Duchess of Sussex and their two children in August.
