King Charles III speaks to world leaders in Antigua, expresses ‘sorrow’ over slave trade

ST. JOHN’S, Antigua - During the official opening of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting on Tuesday, King Charles III spoke about the transatlantic slave trade, calling it a "shameful chapter of history." The monarch expressed profound personal sorrow over the injustice but did not issue an apology or propose formal reparations, as British Prime Minister Andrew Burnham has advocated.

Charles acknowledged that the Royal Navy played a leading role in ending the slave trade and stated that his focus now is on addressing the wrongs through improving access to education, creating jobs, promoting intra-Commonwealth trade, and pushing for climate change resilience measures. Despite his efforts, some protesters outside the meeting called for acknowledgment of the wrong and reparatory justice.