Commonwealth chief calls on King Charles to apologise for Britain’s historical role in slave trade

Commonwealth chief calls on King Charles to apologise for Britain’s historical role in slave trade ‘I don’t believe we can run away from it’ said Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey ahead of the monarch’s Caribbean tour - Bookmark - CommentsGo to comments Become an Independent member to bookmark this article Already a member? Log in King Charles should issue an apology for Britain’s historical role in the slave trade, the secretary general of the Commonwealth has said. Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey said that the “time has come” for a discussion about reparations ahead of the King’s visit to the Caribbean. In an interview with Sky News, she was asked whether the monarch should apologise for slavery and responded: “That’s what the countries have asked for... It wouldn’t hurt to have that. Not at all.” “I don't believe we can run away from it,” she added. “But it is important to determine the form that reparations should take, and that is something that will emerge eventually.” Charles is due to travel to the Bahamas, Guyana and Antiguia and Barbuda as part of his trip and it is predicted that he will deliver speeches at each location but will stop short of issuing an apology. Buckingham Palace has previously said that the monarch takes the issue of the slave trade and reparations “very seriously” and “feels personal sorrow at the suffering of so many”. Earlier this month, the Palace stated that the King’s upcoming Caribbean tour will not avoid addressing “the darkest days of our past”. But guided by ministerial advice, it is understood the King has not been advised by the Government to deliver an apology or offer reparations, adhering to established official policy. The Independent has contacted Buckingham Palace for comment. It was reported in April that the King had not ruled out the possibility of issuing reparations after he backed a research project into the issue. Last month, a delegation from the Jamaican government filed a petition for reparations in London. According to the filing it was the first time a Commonwealth state has used this legal route “for the cause of reparatory justice”. In March this year, the United Nations General Assembly overwhelmingly passed a resolution that described the transatlantic slave trade as "the gravest crime against humanity". But the UK and EU member states were among 52 nations that abstained. Prime Minister Andy Burnham, reiterated the Government’s position to Politico, saying: “I don’t think reparations are the answer, and I’ve had those discussions already with some of our Commonwealth colleagues.” Earlier this month, a Buckingham Palace spokesperson said: “There are important discussions taking place in various fora about colonial legacy and the intergenerational impact of the transatlantic trade in enslaved persons. “While these are primarily matters for Governments to address, His Majesty’s previous statements on them have been unequivocal, describing them as an ‘atrocity’ which ‘forever stains our history’. “The visit programme will therefore not shy away from ‘the darkest days of our past’, as His Majesty has described them, but – in keeping with the wishes of our host nations – it will principally be oriented to the vibrant present and promising future of each country, with visit programmes developed in close consultation with their governments to reflect their individual priorities. “That said, it is important to note here the work His Majesty himself has done over many years both to acknowledge the wrongs of the past and to find creative ways to ‘right inequalities that endure’.” Join our commenting forum Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies Comments