The King is delivering his opening address at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Antigua and Barbuda.
King Charles has delivered his speech at CHOGM (Image: Getty)
The King said the slave trade “fills my heart with horror and my soul with the most profound personal sorrow”, but did not issue an apology for the UK’s historic role in it in his highly anticipated Commonwealth speech. Charles’s opening address at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Antigua today had become of heightened interest after Prime Minister Andy Burnham said he would be “open” to the possibility of the UK formally apologising for its role in slavery.
“Britain is bringing a new approach to this meeting,” the prime minister said, in a bid to get ahead of the debate on the thorny issues of reparations which has dominated the build-up to the summit. But the King, who is presiding over the event in his politically neutral role as head of the Commonwealth, did not give the apology many nations had been hoping for.
Instead, he said, “History is not ours to choose or change”, adding: “Our history inspires us, can appall 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.”
Reflecting on the slave trade, the King acknowledged that it still “casts a shadow over these islands and other Members of our Commonwealth” and highlighted the key role the British Royal Navy played in bringing an end to the abhorrent trade.
Protestors gathered on the streets to call for reparations (Image: AP)
“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,” he said.
“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.”
Speaking at the National Performing Arts Centre of Antigua and Barbuda, the King said he is “committed” to addressing “the wrongs of the past with action for the future”.
“Through improving access to education, investing in jobs and opportunities, encouraging intraCommonwealth trade, and inspiring vital climate resilience measures across the world, I have always felt that there is so much that can be done to help lift up those who struggle against hardship and disadvantage. I have always tried to play my part in doing just that.”
The King’s comments reflect the position of the UK Government, with Mr Burnham suggesting there could be some form of apology over slavery, but has ruled out financial reparations.
Ahead of the speech, Buckingham Palace clarified the monarch’s politically neutral role as “inspiring and convening, rather than policy-making” and said no changes to the speech had been made after the Prime Minister’s comments on Friday night.
A small group of protestors lined the streets leading to the venue where the King delivered his speech this morning, holding placards reading ‘Crimes against humanity could never be legal. Apologize Now’ and ‘You say you ‘regret’ so apologize. Reparatory Justice Now!’ The protestors each wore T-Shires reading similar messages.
Elsewhere in the King’s speech, Charles emphasised the “catastrophic reality” of climate change and raised concerns about the “dizzying speed” at which technology is evolving, saying the “family of nations” is now more important than ever.
“All around us, trust between nations is under critical strain, as international norms and systems are tested to their limits,” the King said. “Brutal conflict stalks our world, destroying lives and casting long shadows across the globe. Technology is transforming our societies and our economies at dizzying speed, with little certainty about where it might lead us.”
The Commonwealth, he says, “offers an unparalleled opportunity to work together”, adding: “ It allows us to draw on the collective ingenuity of a third of humanity to address the challenges confronting us all. This, it seems to me, is the vital essence of the Commonwealth. It lives in the people we serve.”
Addressing the leaders gathered in the room, he urged them to make the most of this week’s summit and “commit yourselves to action”.
He concluded his speech with a rallying cry to come together to “make the greatest possible difference,” saying: “I trust that each of you will recommit yourselves to a Commonwealth in which our young people can look to the future with greater confidence and purpose. So that from this remarkable family of nations, our people can draw inspiration and hope – just as I, myself, have always done.”