Sources close to Buckingham Palace have made clear that any formal apology for Britain's role in the transatlantic slave trade is a matter for the UK government, not the monarchy. The statement came after Prime Minister Andy Burnham wrote in The Guardian that he was open to issuing an official apology.
A Buckingham Palace spokesperson told the BBC that King Charles III would address the issue at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Antigua and Barbuda, saying: "He will not shy away from confronting the most painful chapters of the past during this visit. You can expect him to speak on these matters with genuine sincerity and heartfelt regret."
When asked whether King Charles had responded to Burnham's article, the spokesperson noted it would be constitutionally inappropriate for the King to comment on the political positions of the government. Palace sources confirmed the King had been briefed on Burnham's piece in advance, but stressed the decision on an apology lies solely with the government.
In his article, Burnham described the Atlantic slave trade as "barbaric" and wrote: "Our country is one of brave abolitionists as much as it is one of those who traded in human lives. We are offering to begin a dialogue with those affected by the transatlantic slave trade, and I am open to hearing calls for a formal apology on behalf of England." He nonetheless ruled out financial reparations, arguing that today's Britons cannot be held financially responsible for acts committed under different laws in a different era.
King Charles had previously stated during a speech in the Bahamas on 27 October that "it is only right to acknowledge the great pain and injustice of the past" suffered across the islands and beyond. During the same tour, he visited the site in Guyana where a historic slave revolt began, as scrutiny of the royal family's historical ties to the slave trade intensified.
