‘Fills my heart with horror’: King Charles expresses personal sorrow over slavery

November 4, 2026 — 3:09amSt John’s, Antigua and Barbuda: King Charles has expressed his “profound personal sorrow” over slavery but has stopped short of an apology in a major address to Commonwealth leaders, amid calls from some for Britain to pay compensation for the wrongs of the past.The King told the opening session of the Commonwealth summit in Antigua that slavery was a “monstrous injustice” and he acknowledged its impact on many of the 56 member nations represented at the gathering.King Charles III and Queen Camilla arrive at the opening ceremony of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in St John’s on Tuesday.AP Photo/Matias DelacroixBut he also emphasised that British institutions including the Royal Navy had worked to end slavery when it was abolished in the 1800s, in a message about learning from historic evils.“We cannot change the actions of those who came before us. We can, however, learn from the past,” he said.“The transatlantic trade in enslaved persons still casts a shadow over these islands and other members of our Commonwealth.“As I have said before, that shameful chapter of history is one that fills my heart with horror and my soul with the most profound personal sorrow.“And yet, history also teaches us that evil need not have the last word; that character and courage can combine to overcome the most monstrous injustice, as they did with the determination to end international trade in enslaved people, in which the Royal Navy played such a leading role.”The remarks are central to the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, known as CHOGM, in its first gathering since a meeting in Samoa in 2024 that was also shaped by the debate over slavery and the “blackbirding” of workers taken by force from the Pacific Islands.The host of this year’s meeting, Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne, has voiced the frustrations of countries shaped by slavery and has called for talks on reparations.Protesters hold signs as they call for reparations from Britain.AP Photo/Matias DelacroixBrowne said two days ago that the issue of slavery had “not disappeared with the passage of time” because of its lasting impact on societies.The King spoke in front of leaders ranging from Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to Andy Burnham of the UK, Mark Carney of Canada and counterparts from across the Caribbean, Africa and the Pacific.He warned of the risks from technologies that were being released at “at dizzying speed” and urged the Commonwealth to address some of the changes this would bring.From our partners