Britain’s king Charles III has acknowledged the suffering caused by slavery amid his nine-day Caribbean tour.
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king → acknowledge → tour
His "acknowledgement" was addressed to the growing calls for the UK to apologise and pay reparations for its role in the transatlantic slave trade.
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UK → address → trade
Speaking at a youth rally in Nassau, the Bahamas, on Tuesday, the 77-year-old monarch "recognised the great suffering and injustices of the past”.
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monarch → speak → past
He also confirmed thats the legacy of slavery would be discussed by Commonwealth leaders at their upcoming summit.
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legacy → confirm → summit
Charles will also visit Guyana and Antigua and Barbuda during the tour.
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Charles → visit → tour
He and Queen Camilla are scheduled to attend the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), which brings together leaders from 56 nations.
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which → schedule → nations
Caribbean leaders push for reparations
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leaders → push → reparations
The king's visit comes amid renewed demands for Britain to address its historical role in the forced transportation of millions of Africans across the Atlantic into slavery.
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Britain → come → slavery
Commonwealth Secretary-General Shirley Botchwey said last week that the time had come to discuss reparations.
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time → say → reparations
Asked by Sky News whether the king should apologise for Britain’s role in the slave trade, she said, “It wouldn’t hurt to have that.”
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It → ask → that
“That’s what the countries have asked for,” Botchwey added.
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Botchwey → ’ → what
“I don’t believe we can run away from it.
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we → believe → it
But it is important to determine the form that reparations should take, and that is something that will emerge eventually.”
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that → determine → that
The Caribbean Community, known as Caricom, which has 23 member and associate member states, also said last month that it would push for reparations to be discussed at CHOGM.
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reparations → know → CHOGM
“The Caribbean has consistently asserted that reparations is fundamentally about justice,” Caricom Secretary-General Carla Barnett said.
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Barnett → assert → justice
“It is about recognition, accountability and transformation, and about building a just and equitable future for the descendants of those who, as the chattel of colonial owners, endured untold suffering, loss of life and freedom.”
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who → build → life
UK government rules out formal apology
Despite the pressure, Buckingham Palace has said Charles will not issue an apology during the tour, arguing that such matters are “matters for governments to address”.
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governments → rule → tour
The palace added that he would “not shy away from the darkest days of our past.”
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he → add → past
As monarch, Charles represents Britain abroad on the advice of the government.
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Charles → represent → government
UK Foreign Office sources have told CNN that there is no legal case for reparations because slavery was not illegal when it was practised.
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it → tell → reparations
At the previous CHOGM in 2024, Charles said “the most painful aspects of our past continue to resonate”, but stopped short of issuing a formal apology.
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aspects → say → apology
Britain’s Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said on Tuesday that reparations were not a “reasonable request”.
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reparations → say → Tuesday
He said he was “sensitive to British history” and added that “we should be able to talk about it”, but argued that current generations should not be held responsible for past events.
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generations → say → events
The monarchy has adopted a more conciliatory tone in recent years.
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monarchy → adopt → years
During a visit to Kenya in 2023, Charles said the “wrongdoings of the past are a cause of the greatest sorrow and the deepest regret.”
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wrongdoings → say → sorrow
An estimated 12.5 million Africans were abducted and sold into slavery by European merchants between the 15th and 19th centuries.
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Africans → estimate → centuries
Britain is believed to have been responsible for transporting about 3.2 million of them.
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Britain → believe → them
When slavery was abolished in Britain in 1834, the government compensated slave owners an amount equivalent to £17 billion ($22.5 billion), according to research by University College London.
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government → abolish → London
Enslaved people received no compensation.
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people → enslave → compensation
On Wednesday, Charles is due to meet the Bahamas’ prime minister and governor general.
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Charles → meet → minister
He will also meet families of four Royal Bahamas Defence Force Marines killed in May 1980 when Cuban MiG fighter aircraft sank HMBS Flamingo following a dispute over illegal fishing.
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aircraft → meet → fishing
His schedule also includes an environmental engagement and a garden reception.
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schedule → include → engagement
The Aporia
