King Charles urges Commonwealth to address legacy of slavery at Antigua summit
At the Commonwealth summit in Antigua, King Charles called for learning from the trans-Atlantic slave trade and highlighted education, trade and climate resilience as ways to address its lasting impacts, while Caribbean leaders pressed for an apology and reparations.
King Charles told Commonwealth leaders at the opening of the summit in St John’s, Antigua and Barbuda, that a deeper understanding of the trans-Atlantic slave trade has strengthened his resolve to confront its legacy. He said the history of slavery continues to affect the islands and other members of the Commonwealth and emphasized the need to learn from the past.
"We cannot change the actions of those who came before us, but we can learn from the past," the king said.
Charles stopped short of offering an official apology or endorsing reparations, instead pointing to education, employment, intra-Commonwealth trade and climate-resilience initiatives as practical steps to alleviate ongoing hardship.
Caribbean leaders used the forum to demand a formal apology and broader reparations. Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne called for “honest engagement with our shared history,” while Caricom chair Philip J. Pierre described an apology as an essential first step that must be followed by concrete reparative measures.
British Prime Minister Andy Burnham said he was open to an apology and announced a £40 million package for Caribbean infrastructure, alongside discussions on debt relief for smaller Commonwealth nations.
Protesters outside the summit venue called for a royal apology and reparations, arguing that the United Kingdom’s historical wealth was built on slavery. Organisers of the Antigua and Barbuda Reparations Support Commission said the king’s remarks fell short of acknowledging responsibility.
The summit’s agenda focused on trade, climate resilience, finance, sustainable debt, democracy and youth opportunities, with reparations not formally on the agenda despite growing international pressure.
In related events, a parliamentary group on reparations hosted a discussion on debt relief versus reparations, and a candlelight vigil on an Antiguan beach commemorated enslaved Africans, with religious leaders urging remembrance of those forced into the slave trade.