King Charles under pressure after PM says he's 'open' to formal apology for slave trade

The King is under increasing pressure after the Prime Minister said he is “open” to calls for Britain formally apologise for its role in the slave trade. The monarch’s current tour of the Caribbean has been dominated by calls for him to apologise for the monarch’s association with slavery and pleas for reparations totalling billions to affected nations. Buckingham Palace has consistently outlined that the King would not offer an apology, and would reiterate his previous statements expressing his deep sadness and sorrow on the issue. Andy Burnham, who is due to attend the Commonwealth heads of government meeting (Chogm) in the Caribbean next week, alongside the King, on Friday expressed his personal “sorrow and regret” for the suffering caused by the transatlantic slave trade and said he wanted to offer a “structured dialogue” with those affected. But he went further than any of his predecessors, or the sovereign, has ever done before, saying: “Listening to calls for a formal apology on behalf of the British state will form an important part of this process and I am open to them.” On the first day of his nine-day tour of The Bahamas, Guyana and Antigua and Barbuda, the King said “it is only right that we should acknowledge the great suffering of the past in these islands and beyond”. Yet, campaigners across the region were angered that he again failed to go further and issue an apology for the monarchy’s historic role in the brutal slave trade. A spokesman for the King said: “As we have indicated, The King will not shy away from confronting the most shameful aspects of the past during this Visit. You may therefore expect him to address them in his speech with unflinching honesty, sincere sorrow, and respect for the wider discussions that will be taking place between relevant governments on this issue at CHOGM and beyond.” Buckingham Palace said the monarch would attend Chogm in his capacity as Head of the Commonwealth, adding: “It would not be appropriate for him to address matters of particular policy relating to the UK Government's position.” The row comes after Prime Minister of The Bahamas, Philip Davis, said following the King’s visit earlier this week, that he “would be open” to losing Charles as the island’s head of state. He also said that the call for reparations for slavery “is not absolutely money” and points to “acknowledgment, education, training, things of that nature”, pointing to the work the King's Foundation is engaged with, providing education grants across the Commonwealth as a potential vehicle. However, leading historian Sir Anthony Seldonhas described Charles's Caribbean tour as "the most perilous" of his reign so far. He added: “His freedom is so constrained. He can be empathetic, he is very empathetic, he can say good words, but it's not open to him, it's not his right to be able to say that there will be an apology, it is (that of) the head of Government - the Prime Minister." Tory leader Kemi Badenoch on Saturday also criticised Andy Burnham's consideration of a formal apology, labelling it as a “navel-gazing distraction”. She added that slavery was “an evil in which people from every continent and region participated” and argued the Commonwealth should be “looking forwards, not backwards” at a summit in Antigua and Barbuda next week. She pointed to the intervention by Sir Tony Blair, who in 2006 expressed “deep sorrow and regret” over the UK's involvement in the slave trade but stopped short of a full apology, in arguing that Britain has already confronted its history. In a lengthy post on social media, Mrs Badenoch said: "If Caribbean countries are asking Britain for a formal apology for Britain's role in the transatlantic slave trade, will they also be asking the same of the descendants of African kingdoms, rulers and merchants who captured, sold and profited from the trade?" Royal sources indicated that the Prime Minister’s unprecedented statement was not delivered in conjunction with Buckingham Palace, stating that the royal household had been “informed in a timely manner” about his intentions. Before embarking on the tour, Buckingham Palace said the visit would “not shy away from the darkest days of our past”. A spokesman for the King added that Charles would reflect on and renew his commitment to acknowledging “the wrongs of the past” and finding creative ways to “right inequalities that endure.” Prime Minister of Barbados Mia Mottley, who has sought reparations, welcomed Mr Burnham's statement, saying she would engage in good faith while still seeking reparatory justice. Denis O'Brien, founder of The Repair Campaign, said Burnham's statement was disappointing and did not go far enough, adding: “”The British Government must stop obfuscating and give a full and formal apology now. This would be a significant and symbolic first step towards reparatory justice.” The Palace says apology and reparations are primarily matters for governments, leading the King walking a “diplomatic tightrope”. A spokesman added: “He is up for challenging visits with complex issues and relationships in play. He sees it as his role to ‘bat for Britain’, the Realms and wider Commonwealth, promoting, protecting, and enhancing relationships at the highest level. “One of the many benefits of a Constitutional Monarchy is the ability to transcend politics.” However, the Prime Minister ruled out considering financial reparations, saying he did "not think that British people today can be held liable for historical wrongs, however heinous, that happened in a different age under different laws and in which they played no personal part."