On Friday, King Charles III acknowledged Britain’s role in the trans-Atlantic slave trade. His remarks was made at a summit of Commonwealth countries in Samoa, which featured representatives of 56 countries, Reuters has reported.
As Carribbean and African nations called for reparations, King Charles addressed the Commonwealth’s “painful” history but insisted the past could not be changed.
“I understand from listening to people across the Commonwealth how the most painful aspects of our past continue to resonate,” Charles said in a speech. “It is vital, therefore, that we understand our history, to guide us towards making the right choices in future.”
Charles did not comply with demands for reparations but instead stated that some of Britain’s former colonies must find other inventive solutions.
“None of us can change the past but we can commit with all our hearts to learning its lessons and to finding creative ways to right the inequalities that endure,” he said.
According to NPR, King Charles’ speech at the summit’s opening ceremony was similar to that of British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Starmer also said that the Commonwealth shouldn’t become wrapped up in the past and “very, very long endless discussions about reparations.”
The Prime Minister also ignored calls from the leaders of Caribbean countries at the event to discuss how Britain can rectify their role in the slave trade.
The United Kingdom has never offered a formal apology for its role in the slave trade, in which millions of Africans were kidnapped and transported to Caribbean and American plantations for centuries.
The Brattle Group Report on Reparations for Transatlantic Chattel Slavery estimated that Britain would owe trillions of dollars in compensation to descendants of slaves.