King Charles live: Monarch to address slavery after Andy Burnham row

King Charles live: Monarch to address slavery after Andy Burnham row In an address to gathered presidents and prime minister, the King is expected to talk about the history of slavery with “unflinching honesty” and “sincere sorrow” The King will open the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) today where he is expected to acknowledge the “dark times” of slavery. In his address to gathered presidents and prime ministers, Charles is expected to speak about the issue with “unflinching honesty” and “sincere sorrow” amid calls for Britain to apologise and pay reparations. Prime Minister Andy Burnham, who last week declared that he is "open" to Britain apologising for its slavery past, will be in attendance. The PM is set to hand £40m to Caribbean projects today amid the growing row. On the first day of the Commonwealth summit, Mr Burnham will pledge money towards green energy schemes in the West Indies. He will also set out plans to help poorer Commonwealth members grappling with higher debt costs. Charles will preside over the event in his role as head of the Commonwealth but is politically neutral and will not take part in discussions, unusually held informally without aides in the room. His role is about “inspiring and convening, rather than policy making”, a Buckingham Palace spokesperson said. Charles is coming to the end of a nine-day tour of the Caribbean which has seen him first visit the Bahamas and carry out a state visit to Guyana. On the first day, the King acknowledged the “great suffering of the past” and confirmed CHOGM would discuss the legacy of slavery.