Charles III says he is ‘shame’, but Britain won’t pay

King Charles III on Tuesday expressed his “horror” at slavery, which he called a “monstrous injustice”, as he opened a summit of Commonwealth leaders, some of whom are demanding an apology and reparations for the UK’s role in the transatlantic slave trade.

“This shameful chapter in history fills my heart with horror and my soul with the deepest sadness,” declared the British sovereign and head of the Commonwealth in Antigua and Barbuda, saying he wanted to “work to correct the mistakes of the past by acting for the future”.

“We cannot change the actions of those who came before us. We can, however, learn from it,” he added, acknowledging that the transatlantic slave trade “still casts its shadow over these islands and other members of the Commonwealth.”

“And yet, history also teaches us that evil is not required to have the last word; that strength of character and courage can come together to overcome the most monstrous injustices, as was the case with the determination to end the international trade in enslaved people, in which the Royal Navy played such an important role,” added Charles III.

The king is on a nine-day tour of the Caribbean which also took him to Guyana, a trip during which he recognized “the great sufferings of the past” in these territories.

But political action from the United Kingdom can only come from the government, Buckingham Palace stressed, recalling the constitutional position of neutrality of the sovereign.

Charles III’s statements come as British Prime Minister Andy Burnham, at the summit in St. John’s, holds discussions with Commonwealth leaders about issuing a formal apology.

An estimated 10 to 15 million people were taken from Africa to the Americas to be enslaved, over a period of four centuries.

Mr. Burnham, who took office in July, announced in recent days that he wanted to open a “structured dialogue” with the Commonwealth countries, with the aim of reaching the expression of an official apology.

The Labor head of government, however, ruled out the prospect of financial reparations, as requested by several leaders of this organization made up of 56 countries, mainly former British colonies.

In his speech, scheduled for around 5:30 p.m. GMT, he is expected to announce that the United Kingdom intends to “shape a new era for the Commonwealth, while remaining open to discussions about the past,” according to a Downing Street press release.

Andy Burnham discussed this proposal for dialogue and the “next steps” with the Prime Minister of Barbados, Mia Mottley, during a bilateral interview on Tuesday, again according to Downing Street, which specifies that the leader gave her “support” to this approach.

“No British Prime Minister has ever gone this far before,” also greeted Philip Pierre, Prime Minister of Saint Lucia and president of Caricom, an organization that brings together Caribbean countries, over the weekend, adding that she is ready to “engage” in this dialogue.

“We would receive a formal apology from the British state as a moment of historical significance. But an apology without reparation is incomplete,” he added.

In a column published on Saturday in the “Guardian”, Andy Burnham called for “looking the past in the face”, but closed the door to financial compensation.

“I do not think that the British today can be held responsible for historical wrongs, however heinous, which occurred at a different time, under different laws, and in which they were not personally involved,” he stressed.

“Restorative justice has never been about individual culpability. It concerns the responsibility of States and institutions — and this responsibility does not expire with the passage of generations,” insisted Mr. Pierre.

On the financial level, the Labor leader proposes to work on restructuring the debt of the poorest countries of the Commonwealth, which are suffering from rising interest rates. And he calls on private creditors and donors outside the G7 countries to contribute to this effort.

The United Kingdom will also chair two working groups to boost trade within the Commonwealth and secure the supply of critical minerals. And London plans to mobilize 40 million pounds (48 million euros) for infrastructure projects in the Caribbean, Downing Street announced.